Lyrics
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, 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
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 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
Running 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
Song & Movie Overview
About the Song: A Folk Storytelling Masterpiece
“Cardigan” served as the lead single for Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, folklore, a record that marked a significant sonic and thematic shift for the artist. Released as a surprise in July 2020, the song is a wistful, piano-driven ballad about a romance remembered with nostalgia and a hint of sorrow. Co-written and produced with Aaron Dessner (of the band The National), “Cardigan” showcases Swift’s evolution into a mature, fictional storyteller. The song is one of three tracks on the album (along with “august” and “betty”) that explore the same teenage love triangle from different perspectives, with “Cardigan” being told from the viewpoint of the character Betty, years later.
The Creative Team
Taylor Swift & Aaron Dessner
The collaboration between Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner was the cornerstone of the folklore and evermore albums. Working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dessner would send Swift instrumental tracks, and she would write lyrics and melodies to them. This creative process resulted in an indie-folk sound that was a departure from Swift’s previous pop work, earning her some of the best critical reviews of her career and a Grammy for Album of the Year for folklore. Explore their IMDb pages: Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner.
The Music Video & Film
The enchanting music video for “Cardigan” was written, directed, and styled by Taylor Swift. Filmed with strict safety protocols during the pandemic, it depicts Swift being magically transported through her piano to fantastical settings—a moss-covered forest, a stormy sea, and finally back to a cozy cabin, where she finds comfort in an old cardigan. The video’s escapist and rustic aesthetic defined the entire visual identity of the folklore era.
- Release Date: July 24, 2020
- Director: Taylor Swift
- Where to Watch: The official video is on YouTube. The accompanying concert film, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, which details the making of the album, is available on Disney+.
About the Album: folklore (2020)
Folklore was a surprise album released in July 2020. Moving away from pop spectacle, Swift crafted a stripped-back, alternative record filled with character-driven narratives and intricate storytelling. The album was praised for its lyrical maturity, sonic cohesion, and emotional depth. It broke numerous records and became the best-selling album of 2020 in the US. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making Swift the first woman to win the top prize three times.
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”MusicComposition”,”name”:”cardigan”,”inLanguage”:”English”,”url”:”https://www.oyelyrics.com/cardigan-lyrics-folklore-taylor-swift”,”isPartOf”:{“@type”:”MusicAlbum”,”name”:”folklore”,”byArtist”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Taylor Swift”,”sameAs”:”https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2357847/”}},”lyricist”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Taylor Swift”},{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Aaron Dessner”}],”composer”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Taylor Swift”},{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Aaron Dessner”}],”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Republic Records”}}
