"August" is about the end of a teenage summer romance, but this connection is complicated by the fact that the song's subject is already committed to another. In this way, while the track centers around the end of a seasonal fling, it's wistfulness in part stems from the idea of being someone's second choice. Whereas being the "other woman" has a negative connotation, Taylor Swift complicates this idea by demonstrating the genuineness of August's feelings.
This is conveyed in lines such as "August sipped away like a bottle of wine / 'Cause you were never mine," which shows the tenuous connection between James and August by comparing the longevity of their relationship to a wine bottle and referencing his commitment to another. "Back when I was livin' for the hope of it all" is one of the most striking lyrics of "august," as it demonstrates the earnestness of the narrator's feelings while signifying her understanding of the relationship's inevitable end.
Swift comments on these earnest feelings and the idea of being the "other woman" in the documentary "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Session," saying, "So the idea that there's some, like, some bad, villain girl in any type of situation who, like, takes your man is actually a total myth because that's not usually the case at all. Like, everybody has feelings and wants to be seen and loved, just like Augustine — that's all she wanted was love."
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