The song's lyrics discuss a romance lost in memories, from the perspective of a female narrator named Betty, one of the several fictitious characters narrated in Folklore. An accompanying music video for the song, written, directed, and styled by Swift, was released alongside the album launch. The video has been described as following a cottagecore aesthetic, featuring Swift in three different settings: a "cozy cabin" in the woods, a moss-covered forest, and a dark stormy sea, which represents the concept of the different phases in relationships. "Cardigan" was praised by music critics for its poetic songwriting and laid-back sound. It received nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. An acoustic version of the song, branded as "Cabin in Candlelight", was also released.
Commercially, "Cardigan" debuted atop the global Spotify songs chart with over 7.742 million streams, which was, at that time, the biggest opening day for a song on the platform in 2020. With the song's debut at the number-one spot of the Billboard Hot 100 as well, Swift scored the sixth U.S. number-one single of her career. Along with Folklore's debut atop the Billboard 200 the same week, she became the first artist ever to simultaneously debut atop the Hot 100 and Billboard 200. "Cardigan" further topped the Hot Alternative Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts, making Swift the first act in history to garner twenty chart-toppers on the latter. It reached number one in Australia, the top ten in Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and the top 20 in Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Scotland.
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Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High heels on cobblestones
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Sequin smile, black lipstick
Sensual politics
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Drunk under a streetlight
I, I knew you
Hand under my sweatshirt
Baby, kiss it better, right
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
A friend to all is a friend to none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Playin' hide-and-seek and
Givin' me your weekends
I, I knew you
Your heartbeat on the High Line
Once in twenty lifetimes, I
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed
You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'
'Cause I knew you
Steppin' on the last train
Marked me like a bloodstain
I, I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losin' Wendy
I, I knew you
Leavin' like a father
Runnin' like water, I
And when you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time
Chasin' shadows in the grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired
And you'd be standin' in my front porch light
And I knew you'd come back to me
You'd come back to me
And you'd come back to me
And you'd come back
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
The song "cardigan" by Taylor Swift is a reflection on youthful love and the heartbreak that comes with it. The first verse sets the scene with the contrast between the vintage tee and brand new phone, and the high heels on cobblestones, depicting the optimistic and adventurous nature of youth. However, these moments are often met with assumptions that the young person knows nothing, as depicted in the second line. The chorus then introduces the character who understood and cherished the singer for who she was, even when she felt like an old cardigan under someone's bed. The idea of feeling like an old cardigan could represent the emotions of being overlooked and undervalued. The character then placed the singer on, declaring her as a favorite and providing her with a sense of worth.
The second verse continues the idea of being young and naive, with the line "a friend to all is a friend to none, chase two girls, lose the one." This line could be seen as a lesson learned, showcasing the realization that sometimes too much focus on pleasing everyone can result in losing the people who truly matter. The singer once again outlines a moment where she knew her character, spending time together, playing hide-and-seek, and weekends together. The bridge speaks to the end of their relationship, with the character leaving the singer, and her acknowledging that she knew that he would come back to her. The final chorus shows the singer's realization that she understood everything when she was young, including the pain of lost love, the hauntings of what-ifs, and the burning desire for someone who left.
Line by Line Meaning
Vintage tee, brand new phone
Despite having a new phone, I still hold onto old things like this vintage tee.
High heels on cobblestones
I'm walking on an uneven surface in high heels, showing that I can handle difficult situations.
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Many people overlook or underestimate young people's abilities and intelligence.
Sequin smile, black lipstick, Sensual politics
I use my looks and charm to navigate the complexities of politics and relationships.
But I knew you, Dancin' in your Levi's, Drunk under a streetlight, I, I knew you, Hand under my sweatshirt, Baby, kiss it better, right
Despite our faults and imperfections, I still knew and loved you deeply. We shared intimate moments and took care of each other.
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan Under someone's bed, You put me on and said I was your favorite
Despite feeling old and unloved, you rescued and validated me. In your eyes, I was still valuable and cherished.
A friend to all is a friend to none, Chase two girls, lose the one, When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Trying to be friends with everyone and pursuing multiple romantic interests can lead to losing the one you truly wanted. People often underestimate the inexperience and learnings of the youth.
But I knew you, Playin' hide-and-seek and, Givin' me your weekends, I, I knew you, Your heartbeat on the High Line, Once in twenty lifetimes, I
We shared beautiful memories and rare moments of true connection. I know you deeply and from a place that only comes once in a lifetime.
To kiss in cars and downtown bars, Was all we needed, You drew stars around my scars, But now I'm bleedin'
The simple things we did together were enough for us. You helped me heal my wounds and see my beauty, but now I'm hurting again.
'Cause I knew you, Steppin' on the last train, Marked me like a bloodstain, I, I knew you, Tried to change the ending, Peter losin' Wendy, I, I knew you, Leavin' like a father, Runnin' like water, I, And when you are young, they assume you know nothing
You left a deep impact on me, like a permanent scar. I knew that our story wouldn't have a happy ending, like the story of Peter and Wendy. You left me like a father and ran away like water. People often underestimate what the youth can perceive and comprehend.
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss, I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs, The smell of smoke would hang around this long, 'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew that you'd leave a lasting mark on me, like a tattoo kiss. I knew that I'd always wonder what could have been between us. The smell of smoke and all the memories would still linger in my mind. When I was young, I knew everything and felt everything deeply.
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time, Chasin' shadows in the grocery line, I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired, And you'd be standin' in my front porch light, And I knew you'd come back to me, You'd come back to me, And you'd come back to me, And you'd come back
I knew that I would hold onto the pain and resentment of losing you for a long time. I would keep looking for you in random places, despite it being pointless. I knew that once the excitement and thrill ran out of your life, you'd come back to me, standing on my front porch light. You will come back to me, over and over again.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aaron Brooking Dessner, Taylor A. Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@darylsambalberan833
It's a Trilogy. There's a story behind those songs๐
It's about the story of Betty and James. James cheated Betty with the August girl. August song is the POV/perspective of the other girl because she was just a summer thing to James. There's a lyrics on August song : "but u were never mine".
After listening to August song, then listen to Betty song. Betty song is the Perspective/POV of James. He turned back to Betty and there's a lyrics there:
"the worst thing I did was what I did to you" (cheating)
"im only seventeen, i dont know anything but i know i miss you"
"slept with her (August) but I dreamed of you all summer long".
Then after Betty song, just listen to Cardigan song. Cardigan is the POV/perspective of Betty! They got back together and for some time it felt good. And there's a lyrics there
"and when I felt like i was an old cardigan under someone's bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite"
But at the bridge till the end part of the song, they're not really meant for each other.. I think Betty grew up, matured and realized a lot of things. There's a lyrics in the song
"I knew you'd come back to me"
"but i know everything when i was young
"You tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy"
๐ญ๐ญ
Salute to Taylor Swift, she's a Queen
@markaspril723
Vintage tee, brand new phone
High heels on cobblestones
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Sequin smile, black lipstick
Sensual politics
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Dancin' in your Levi's
Drunk under a streetlight
I, I knew you
Hand under my sweatshirt
Baby, kiss it better, right
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
A friend to all is a friend to none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Playin' hide-and-seek and
Givin' me your weekends
I, I knew you
Your heartbeat on the High Line
Once in twenty lifetimes, I
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed
You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'
'Cause I knew you
Steppin' on the last train
Marked me like a bloodstain
I, I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losing Wendy
I, I knew you
Leavin' like a father
Runnin' like water, I
And when you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time
Chasing shadows in the grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired
And you'd be standin' in my front porch light
And I knew you'd come back to me
You'd come back to me
And you'd come back to me
And you'd come back
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
@xxCatOfficialxx
Betty: "I was walking home on broken cobblestones"
Cardigan: "High heels on cobblestones"
August: "Remember when I pulled up and said "Get in the car"
Betty: "She said "James, get in, let's drive""
Cardigan: "And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite"
Betty: "Standing in your cardigan"
@eloradananjane
"cardigan"
Vintage tee, brand new phone
High heels on cobblestones
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Sequin smile, black lipstick
Sensual politics
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Dancing in your Levi's
Drunk under a streetlight, I
I knew you
Hand under my sweatshirt
Baby kiss it better, right
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
A friend to all is a friend to none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Playing hide-and-seek and
Giving me your weekends
I, I knew you
Your heartbeat on the High Line
Once in twenty lifetimes, I
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed
You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleeding
'Cause I knew you
Stepping on the last train
Marked me like a bloodstain, I
I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losing Wendy
I, I knew you
Leaving like a father
Running like water, I
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time
Chasing shadows in the grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired
And you'd be standing in my front porch light
And I knew you'd come back to me
You'd come back to me
And you'd come back to me
And you'd come back
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
@ShadowMusicOfficial
Whatโs your favourite song off of the Taylor Swift album?
@michaelsegovia5342
Love story
@vanny5404
Idk
@noname-dy2ci
Blank space
@buxontol
Love story
@szwedus4871
Love story
@aanya4439
The wolfstar vibes in "you drew scars around my stars" are immaculate
@KN0WTHE3ND
yesss they are immaculate, this is mostly the reason i love this song. and it's like really catchy.
@gojosatoru2424
YESSS
@lyajam1090
THISSSSSSSS