"Hoax" embodies the entire album. Swift noted that "Hoax" felt like a great ending to Folklore because it matched up with all the themes of the album, including confessions, nature, and "emotional vitality and ambiguity at the same time." She added that the song is about many different relationships in her life, rather than just one person.
"The Lakes" is about Swift's desire to disappear from the spotlight. At the end of the film, Swift recounted visiting the Lake District in England, which was a district in the 19th century where a lot of eccentric poets resided. She added that she was particularly inspired to write "The Lakes" after visiting poet William Wordsworth's grave. "I just sat there and was like, 'Wow, you went and did it. You just went away and you kept writing, but you didn't subscribe to the things that were killing you.'"