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Betty, I won't make assumptions 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 says
Most 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
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
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
About this song
James at seventeen bikes to the porch to apologize; Inez gossiped; “standing in your cardigan” puts the garment back on a body. Joe hummed the chorus, which nudged the boy-POV choice. The ending stays on the porch—whether Betty opens up is yours to decide.
Key terms & images
- James at seventeen
- Teen apologizer with handlebars, porch, age—mistake as a specific boy’s body, not a cartoon villain tag.
- Inez
- Gossip node who told Betty about the summer. She moves plot; she isn’t august’s lead.
- Boy POV choice
- After Joe hummed the hook, she wrote the whole song from the boy’s mouth—rare: the one who erred holds the mic; you judge the weight.
FAQ & readings
- Does Betty forgive him?
- The song stops at ask and wait: cardigan, porch, bike arrival. Acceptance stays blank—the triangle needs that unanswered door.
- Why first-person boy?
- So the apology sounds like live speech, not omniscient judgment. You get James’s cut; Betty’s cut lives in cardigan.
Discuss "betty"
Share what this song means to you, or the lyric line that hits hardest.
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