Q: how many key changes are there in mount st. helens?
A: let's see, it starts in G, there is a small hint or borrow from another key on "grey" but i really don't think that's long enough to call it a key change. then it doesn't change keys until the first bridge, which starts in Eb for the first half, then from "vacation" it would be in F (this is 2 key changes so far) then "paying them etc" would be in Ab, then back to G for the next verse. this makes 4 key changes so far. during this 3rd verse, it does a similar key slip that happens in the first verse (different key but similar place), but it lasts slightly longer than the one in the first verse, just long enough to declare it a key change maybe depending on who is judging that day. then back to G. so that makes 6 so far. then the second bridge, again to Eb in the first half (7 changes so far total). then on "sun burns out" there could be disagreement on which of those is considered a key change. i feel on 'sun' it seems like we are in Amin for just the moment, then the following chord actually feels like it's coming from the key of Cmin, which i would consider the same key as Eb. so i'd think that would be rude to say it changes to Amin and back for just that 1 chord, but then again on "sun" there is a distinct change. on the other hand, you could argue that they are both coming from the key of C, nah fuck it i guess you have to call that 2 keys. fine so we'll call that 2 key changes for "sun burns out." (that's 9 so far) but you see where this creates chaos in the courts because we've just allowed a single chord to be called its own key, twice in a row. so then it's only fair that we allow it back at the beginning also, for "grey." so that makes 2 extra changes because you'd have to count the change back also. so let me re count, that would be 11 so far, then from "sky" all the way to "goin down", that's all in Bb, so that's 1 more change. so 12 changes so far. then the top of the next verse stays in Bb but quickly slips to G, then the rest of the outvamp is in G which makes 13 changes if you include all the single chord incidents, and maybe 10 if you are more stubborn about including those