This song was confirmed on Taylor’s social media accounts on July 23, 2020.
BETTY
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 saysMost 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
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 sinking 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
Kissing in my car again
Stopped at a streetlight, you know I miss you
In "Betty," Taylor Swift tells a story of teenage love and heartbreak. The song is written from the point of view of James, who apologizes to Betty for cheating on her. He expresses his regret for hurting her and wants to make it up to her, but he is not sure if she would forgive him. James mentions that Betty changed her homeroom, possibly to avoid him, and he feels guilty for causing her pain. He recalls a specific moment when he saw her dancing with someone else and felt jealous. He also mentions how he spent the summer with another girl but thought of Betty every night. The song ends with James showing up at Betty's party, hoping to make amends and asking for her forgiveness.
The song "Betty" can be interpreted as a continuation of Taylor Swift's previous songs "Tim McGraw" and "Teardrops On My Guitar." The three songs are loosely connected, sharing similarities in their themes of young love and heartbreak. "Tim McGraw" is about saying goodbye to a past relationship, while "Teardrops On My Guitar" is about unrequited love. "Betty" explores the guilt and regret that comes with straying from a committed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Betty, I won't make assumptions
I won't jump to conclusions about you.
About why you switched your homeroom
I don't know why you changed schools.
But I think it's 'cause of me
But I suspect it's because of something I did.
Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard
One day while skateboarding, I rode past your house.
When I passed your house
When I skated by your house.
It's like I couldn't breathe
Seeing your house made me feel overwhelmed with emotion.
You heard the rumors from Inez
You heard gossips about me from our mutual friend Inez.
You can't believe a word she says
Normally you can't trust what she says.
Most times, but this time it was true
But this time, the rumors were accurate.
The worst thing that I ever did
The most terrible thing I've done.
Was what I did to you
Was the thing I did to hurt you.
But if I just showed up at your party
But what if I came to your party uninvited.
Would you have me?
Would you allow me to come to your party?
Would you want me?
Would you like me to be there?
Would you tell me to go fuck myself
Would you be angry with me?
Or lead me to the garden?
Or would you take me somewhere private to talk?
In the garden would you trust me
If we talked in private, could you trust me?
If I told you it was just a summer thing?
If I explained that what I did was only a temporary mistake?
I'm only seventeen
I'm young and inexperienced.
I don't know anything but I know I miss you
I might not know much, but I know I still feel strongly about you.
Betty, I know where it all went wrong
I know what I did wrong in our relationship.
Your favorite song was playing
I remember your favorite song was on at the party.
From the far side of the gym
I couldn't see you because I was on the other side of the room.
I was nowhere to be found
I wasn't there with you.
I hate the crowds, you know that
You know I don't like being around big groups of people.
Plus, I saw you dance with him
And I saw you dancing with another guy.
I was walking home on broken cobblestones
I was walking home late at night on damaged pavement.
Just thinking of you when she pulled up
I was lost in thoughts of you when a girl picked me up.
Like a figment of my worst intentions
Like a product of all my bad impulses.
She said "James, get in, let's drive"
She asked if I wanted a ride, and I got in.
Those days turned into nights
Our time together became longer and longer.
Slept next to her but
I shared a bed with her, but...
I dreamt of you all summer long
I couldn't stop thinking about you this whole time.
Betty, I'm here on your doorstep
I'm at your house now.
And I planned it out for weeks now but
I've been thinking about this for a while.
It's finally sinking in
I'm starting to realize the significance of what I'm doing.
Betty, right now is the last time
This is the final chance.
I can dream about what happens when you see my face again
I can only imagine how you'll react when you see me.
The only thing I wanna do
All I want to do is make it right.
Is make it up to you
I want to apologize and make amends.
So, I showed up at your party
I came to your party uninvited.
Will you have me?
Will you accept my presence?
Will you love me?
Will you still care about me?
Will you kiss me on the porch
Will you be intimate with me in public?
In front of all your stupid friends?
Even when your friends are around?
If you kiss me
If we become intimate.
Will it be just like I dreamed it?
Will it be as good as I imagined it would be?
Will it patch your broken wings?
Will it make things better between us?
Standing in your cardigan
You're wearing your cozy cardigan.
Kissing in my car again
We're kissing in my car, like we used to.
Stopped at a streetlight, you know I miss you
We're stopped at a stoplight and I'm thinking about how much I still love you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Taylor A. Swift, William Bowery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MiniEggsAreBetter
Such a meaningful song with meaningful verses, and the fact that it is a different perspective to cardigan and August.
@effaith
love how james blames it on everyone but him
@alicia_grace
maybe the bridge, but i feel like otherwise the whole song is him blaming himself lol
@user-rt2su8sf5y
the chorus literally says “the worst thing that i ever did was what i did to you” 😭
@samarabinteabdullah8332
L1
@Swiftie134ever-u1y
lol
@sentimentalsouls
Not every guy is a jerk, pls don't self-explained
@defnotjenna
this song is a literal masterpiece and no one can tell me otherwise
@grahamscott1547
Why do you think it’s a masterpiece?? It’s literally about children …
@defnotjenna
@@grahamscott1547 what? no it’s not??