Carolina
Phil & John Lyrics

The other day my neighbor has a dented bike
The singer's neighbor recently had a bike accident which caused damage to the bike.

Second day he called me from intensive care
The next day, the singer's neighbor called from intensive care indicating that he was severely injured.

Says he needs a picture of the dented bike
The neighbor requests a picture of his damaged bike so he can provide evidence of the accident and its severity.

For the evidence of what a wreck he had
The picture of the dented bike will serve as visual proof of the terrible accident the neighbor had experienced.

Lift that fork, eat that snail
The artist requests the waiter to bring him food with great enthusiasm.

Garcon summon up a new cocktail
The singer calls for the waiter to bring him another drink.

Crash my bicycle
The singer is recounting the traumatic event of crashing their bike.

In a big South Carolina wreck
The bike accident occurred in South Carolina.

I crash my bicycle
The artist repeats the phrase, emphasizing the impact of the accident.

And I won some damages and they were punitive
The artist received some financial compensation as a result of the accident, but it was meant to punish the party responsible in some way.

By which I mean the punishment was damaging
The compensation awarded to the singer was designed to be punishing, rather than just to cover expenses incurred as a result of the accident.

It crushed my hand
The accident resulted in a serious injury to the artist's hand.

It crushed my head
The accident was so severe that the singer's head was also injured, possibly resulting in brain damage.

Garcon, where's my drink?
The singer calls for the waiter again to bring him a drink.

Observe the front wheel spinning upside down
The accident was so severe that the bike's front wheel was bent and was no longer able to roll properly.

The red reflector fragments strewn around
The accident was of such force that the bike's reflective decals shattered and scattered around the scene of the accident.

The back wheel's 'O' is now a letter 'D'
The accident damaged the back wheel of the bike, causing the 'O' to bend and transform into a 'D'.

Wreck!
The singer repeats the word 'wreck' to describe the scene of the accident and its severity.

I was an 'I' and now I am a 'V'
The singer likens their personal transformation (from an 'I' to a 'V') to the transformation of the letter 'O' to a 'D', indicating that the accident was life-changing.

If I had to do it all again, by bicycle
The artist muses about what they would do differently if they had to repeat the traumatic event of crashing their bike.

If I had to do it, I would crash my bicycle
Although it was a traumatic experience, the artist finds value in the experience of crashing their bike.

I'd crush my head
The artist implies that they would willingly subject themselves to another traumatic injury if it meant having a profound learning experience.

Collect the bread
The singer might suggest collecting compensation for damages resulting from an accident like his.

Move around folks
The artist implores bystanders to give him some personal space so that he can recover from his injuries.

Push her back there, move along
The singer urges an ambulance in a crowded area to move aside so that he can get medical attention.

Show's over, folks
The singer makes a wry comment about the spectacle that the accident had become, indicating that it was both tragic and a little comical in nature.

Let him breathe, step lively
The singer emphasizes the importance of allowing an injured individual to catch their breath before springing into action.

Fork (fork)
These lines are repeated, using the same words as before, to indicate that the artist continues to eat.

Snail (snail)
These lines are repeated, using the same words as before, to indicate the artist continues to eat.

Garcon (garcon)
These lines are repeated, using the same words as before, to indicate that the singer continues to call the waiter.

Cocktail (cocktail)
These lines are repeated, using the same words as before, to indicate that the singer continues to order drinks.