[Verse 1] Walking down Port Why-knee-me beach, my trench coat catching the breeze. It looks like an empty expanse of sand, free of life, all emptied ease. But I’m a PI of the shoreline, and I know how this ocean behaves. spottin' clues 'cross the swash zone, just below them breakin' waves. There’s a mystery in the water, slipping right out of my hand. I see those little popping bubbles, V-shaped patterns in that sand. [Pre-Chorus] I grab my trusty shovel and dig on into this grit. Lookin' for a tiny suspect, a strangely shaped bullet. They dig down deep flipped backwards, with their heads facing the sky. Waiting for them crashing waves to bring a dose of plankton by. [Chorus] Oh, it's the mystery of the bubbles, hiding just outta reach! But everybody knows they're candy bars of the beach! Feeding all the hungry birds and fishes in the sea. These little Em-er-rita crabs are feeding you and me! Yeah, they’re the hidden engine humming right under our feet. Makin' the whole sandy shoreline ecosystem complete! [Verse 2] Now this ain't your classic crab, ain't no heavy claws ta crush a shell. Flick their giant feathery antennas to catch their floating food as well. They ride the tidal waters up and down, masters of the swash. Catching all those microscopic pieces in the violent wash. I thought I was hunting a monster, some kind of criminal mastermind. But this is just a filter feeder of the most elusive kind! [Pre-Chorus] I grab my trusty shovel and I dig right into grit. Lookin' for a tiny suspect, a strangely shaped bullet. Dig down deep lookin' backwards, with heads towards the sky. Waiting for the crashing waves ta bring doses of plankton by. [Chorus] Oh, it's the mystery of the bubbles, hiding just out of reach! But everybody knows they're candy bars of the beach! Feeding all the seagulls and fisher's hook line. Translating all that plankton into a food web by design! Yeah, they’re the hidden engine humming right under our feet. Making our whole sandy shoreline an ecosystem complete! [Bridge] They're hiding from the surf perch, hiding from the sky. But them microplastics and this acidic ocean high might craft their long goodbye. They carry the whole ocean's weight, delivering the ultimate payload! The greatest little mystery that this coastline ever showed! [Chorus] Oh, it's the mystery of the bubbles, hidin' just on out of reach! But everybody knows they're candy bars of the beach! Feeding all the hungry birds and fishes in this sea. These Pacific sand crabs are feeding you and me! Yeah, they’re the hidden engine humming right under our feet. Makin' this sandy shoreline ecosystem complete! [Outro] Yeah, the mystery is solved, case closed in the sand. Just look for the V-shapes, the clues are incredibly grand. The engine of the beach. Oh, the engine of the beach. Case closed.
