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Salt air
And the rust on your door
I never needed anything more
Whispers
Of "Are you sure?"
"Never have I ever before"
But I can see us
Lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
'Cause it was never mine
And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away
Like a bottle of wine
'Cause you were never mine
Your back
Beneath the sun
Wishing I could write my name on it
Will you call when you're back at school?
I remember thinking I had you
But I can see us
Lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
'Cause it was never mine
And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away
Like a bottle of wine
'Cause you were never mine
Back when we were still changing for the better
Wanting was enough
For me, it was enough
To live for the hope of it all
Cancel plans just in case you'd call
And say "Meet me behind the mall"
So much for summer love, and saying "Us"
'Cause you weren't mine to lose
You weren't mine to lose
No
But I can see us
Lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
'Cause it was never mine
And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away
Like a bottle of wine
'Cause you were never mine, mine
'Cause you were never mine
Never mine
But do you remember?
Remember when I pulled up
And said "Get in the car"
And then canceled my plans
Just in case you'd call?
Back when I was living for the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
"Meet me behind the mall"
(Remember when I pulled up)
(And said "Get in the car")
(And then canceled my plans)
(Just in case you'd call?)
(Back when I was living for the hope of it all)
(For the hope of it all)
("Meet me behind the mall")
Remember when I pulled up
And said "Get in the car"
And then canceled my plans
Just in case you'd call?
Back when I was living for the hope of it all
(For the hope of it all)
For the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
For the hope of it all
About this song
The summer other: “August slipped away… never mine,” “you weren’t mine to lose”—never owned, still lost. School cuts the spell. At Long Pond she called the girl Augusta / Augustine; Inez in betty is the gossip who told Betty, not the august girl.
Key terms & images
- Never mine / not mine to lose
- Pain without title deed: the bond was never yours, the loss still is. A stolen summer has no paperwork.
- Augusta / Augustine
- Long Pond’s nickname for the character—fiction seat in the triangle, not a headline.
FAQ & readings
- Is Inez the girl in august?
- No. Inez in betty is the gossip who told; august is the summer other. Three roles, don’t collapse the names.
- Why does “back to school” sting?
- The calendar kills summer: the secret’s seasonal lease ends; streets and identities return to the public schedule.

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