Taylor Swift surprised everyone this year when she released her eighth studio album, folklore, which she recorded entirely during quarantine. The album brings a completely different vibe from her previous album Lover, with warm and cozy songs like "Cardigan" and "The 1." Another fan favorite on the new album is "Betty," which Swift recently performed live at the ACM Awards on Sept. 16.
Major Taylor Swift fans (Swifties) quickly noticed that the new song describes a teenage love triangle using the names James, Inez and Betty. James and Inez are the elder daughters of Swift's longtime celebrity pals Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. But Betty was a mystery. Did she reveal the name of the youngest Reynolds daughter that the family welcomed last fall?
According to Billboard, Swift spilled the beans about her song in a recent country radio interview and somewhat confirmed the "Easter Eggs" she left for fans in her song.
"[James] has lost the love of his life basically and doesn't understand how to get it back," Swift says. "I think we all have these situations in our lives where we learn to really, really give a heartfelt apology for the first time. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody really messes up sometimes and this is a song that I wrote from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy. I've always loved that in music you can kinda slip into different identities and you can sing from other people's perspectives. So that's what I did on this one. I named all the characters in this story after my friends' kids... and I hope you like it!"
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This wasn't the first time that Swift got Lively and Reynolds involved in her music. Little Inez opened up the song "Gorgeous" from Reputation in 2017, and Reynolds even made a surprise appearance in the "You Need to Calm Down" music video from Lover a couple of years later. Though we rarely see appearances on social media from the long time friends anymore, it's special to see that Swift continues to include them in her music.
"Betty" Lyrics
Betty, I won't make assumptions
About why you switched your homeroom, but
I think it's 'cause of?...me
Betty,?...one time I?...was riding on my skateboard
When I?...passed your house
It's like I couldn't breathe
You heard the rumors from Inez
You can't believe a word she says
Most times, but this time it was true
The worst thing that I ever did
Was what I did to you
But if I just showed up at your party
Would you have me? Would you want me?
Would you tell me to go fuck myself
Or lead me to the garden?
In the garden, would you trust me
If I told you it was just a summer thing?
I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything
But I know I miss you
Betty, I know where it all went wrong
Your favorite song was playing
From the far side of the gym
I was nowhere to be found
I hate the crowds, you know that
Plus, I saw you dance with him
You heard the rumors from Inez
You can't believe a word she says
Most times, but this time it was true
The worst thing that I ever did
Was what I did to you
But if I just showed up at your party
Would you have me? Would you want me?
Would you tell me to go fuck myself
Or lead me to the garden?
In the garden, would you trust me
If I told you it was just a summer thing?
I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything
But I know I miss you
I was walking home on broken cobblestones
Just thinking of you when she pulled up like
A figment of my worst intentions
She said "James, get in, let's drive"
Those days turned into nights
Slept next to her, but
I dreamt of you all summer long
Betty, I'm here on your doorstep
And I planned it out for weeks now
But it's finally sinkin' in
Betty, right now is the last time
I can dream about what happens when
You see my face again
The only thing I wanna do
Is make it up to you
So I showed up at your party
Yeah, I showed up at your party
Yeah, I showed up at your party
Will you have me? Will you love me?
Will you kiss me on the porch
In front of all your stupid friends?
If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it?
Will it patch your broken wings?
I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything
But I know I miss you
Standing in your cardigan
Kissin' in my car again
Stopped at a streetlight
You know I miss you
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