“You heard the rumors from Inez” - analysis of “Betty” by Taylor Swift

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 17, 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 17, 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

"Betty," the penultimate track on Taylor Swift's 2020 album "Folklore," is a robust narrative ballad full of regret, nostalgia, and the ache of youth, which draws from established literary and cultural tropes to create an emotionally resonant narrative arc. Notably, it eschews the traditional Taylor Swift autobiographical approach in favor of a third-person perspective, creating a narrative around the titular character, Betty, and the song's protagonist, James. This essay will delve into the meaning and narrative structure of the song, and it will offer insights into how it reflects wider cultural and literary themes, without leaning on the oft-used comparisons to "The Great Gatsby" or "Pride & Prejudice."

Starting from the lyric, "You heard the rumors from Inez," we're launched into a world of teenage gossip and tension. The use of names grounds the song in an approachable, personal reality while also allowing for the evocation of an American tradition of storytelling. It is reminiscent of classic American realist literature, such as the works of Raymond Carver or John Updike, where the ordinary and the personal are elevated into the realm of the universal.

In the song's narrative, James has done something to hurt Betty, revealed later to be a romantic indiscretion, and the song oscillates between regret over past actions and hope for reconciliation. The repeated refrain "But if I just showed up at your party" reveals a longing for simplicity, a desire to return to a point in their relationship before his actions caused their fall out. This reflection on past mistakes and the hope for forgiveness is a common trope in literature and film, one that resonates deeply with listeners because it is rooted in universal experiences of guilt and regret.

As the song progresses, we learn more about the summer fling that has led to the current heartbreak, with the lyrics "I was walking home on broken cobblestones / Just thinking of you when she pulled up like / A figment of my worst intentions." Here, Swift employs evocative imagery to hint at James' guilt. The "broken cobblestones" suggest a path of uncertainty and hardship, while the unexpected arrival of the other girl is characterized as a "figment of my worst intentions," revealing the internal conflict within James. This form of storytelling is reminiscent of the psychological realism found in the works of Henry James and Edith Wharton, where internal consciousness and moral ambiguity take center stage.

Swift also plays with the theme of innocence lost, a trope common in coming-of-age narratives across different cultures. The repeated line "I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything" positions James as a young man caught up in situations that are beyond his emotional capacity to handle. It's a nod to the rash decisions made in youth and the inevitable life lessons learned through pain and experience, a common theme in works like J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" or S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders".

In the climax of the song, James shows up at Betty's party, not knowing how he will be received, but willing to face the consequences. This is an act of courage and vulnerability, similar to the hero's return in Joseph Campbell's "The Hero's Journey," where after undergoing trials and tribulations, the hero returns home changed, ready to face the consequences of their actions and to make amends.

Finally, the song ends on an open-ended note, with James' longing to "make it up to you," a clear and unflinching declaration of his regret. There is no resolution offered, no neat ending provided, which mirrors the often messy, unresolved nature of real life and aligns with the modernist approach to narrative closure.

In conclusion, Swift's "Betty" is an intricate narrative ballad that employs a range of literary and cultural tropes to explore themes of regret, guilt, longing, and the trials of coming of age. Its narrative complexity, coupled with its emotionally resonant lyrics, elevates it beyond the realm of popular music and into the arena of storytelling that is at once timeless and refreshingly new. The strength of "Betty" lies in its ability to tell a universal story through the personal and specific, using the traditional to articulate the complex emotional landscape of contemporary adolescence.