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Song

cardigan

Folklore · 2020 · Track 2
Quill · Co-written
Written byTaylor Swift, Aaron Dessner
Produced byAaron Dessner
First PersonFictional
Sister Songs

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Podcast Analysis

Notable lyric
Vintage tee, brand new phoneHigh heels on cobblestonesWhen you are young, they assume you know nothing…”

Cardigan is the third and final song in the folklore love triangle (august, betty, cardigan). It is told from Betty's perspective years later as an adult looking back on the events of her adolescence. Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner, produced by Aaron Dessner. The song was the lead single from folklore and has an accompanying music video filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela & Uncle Jerry identify it as the richest poem of the trilogy, distinguished by its free verse form, dense symbolic layering, and mature narrative voice. The 3:13 timestamp in the song ('And you'd be standing in my front porch light') aligns with Betty's 3:13 timestamp ('I'm here on your doorstep'). At an Eras Tour performance Taylor introduced cardigan with "this is about you", stated by Taylor on stage with no further identification made. Community readers also note the timeline buried in "downtown bars": too young for bars at seventeen, the verse implies the pair reunited as adults before it ended for good, a hearing offered by @nubigena1040.

Uncle Jerry’s Verdict

99

Lyrical Strength
99
Narrative & Structure
99
Production & Atmosphere
98
Lore & Literary References
99
Emotional Impact
100
Total Points495