Introduction

Hi. A few years back I dove into Rammstein's lyrics and counted words because I love their words, and coding is fun. So why stop there? I'm doing it again for my favorite band, The Armed—because I love their music, and these projects are just too much fun.

Let's find out how many words The Armed packs into their songs. First we set the rules: clean the lyrics, expand contractions, and normalize the text. Then we tally every word and mark which ones are brand new as we go.

Example:

Don't do not let it make you go numb Don't do not let it dull your compassion
—15 words, 11 unique words

The Future Is Here And Everything Needs To Be Destroyed

Released in 2025. The album has 11 tracks, runs 32 minutes and 16 seconds, and has an average track length of 2 minutes and 56 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 1,616 words, 552 of which are unique. On average, there are 147 words per track, 50 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.93:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Well Made Play	113	59	1.91
Purity Drag	304	54	5.63
Kingbreaker	111	51	2.18
Grace Obscure	232	94	2.47
Broken Mirror	136	97	1.40
Sharp Teeth	103	55	1.87
I Steal What I Want	79	32	2.47
Local Millionaire	141	36	3.92
Gave Up	86	42	2.05
Heathen	128	32	4.00
A More Perfect Design	183	79	2.32

Everlasting Gaze*

Released in 2024. The EP has 3 tracks, runs 10 minutes and 1 second, and has an average track length of 3 minutes and 20 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 408 words, 160 of which are unique. On average, there are 136 words per track, 53 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.55:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Puzzler	138	31	4.45
NEW! Christianity	121	60	2.02
Martyr Song	149	69	2.16

*) Also contains 3 remixes that are disregarded.

Perfect Saviors

Released in 2023. The album has 12 tracks, runs 41 minutes and 38 seconds, and has an average track length of 3 minutes and 28 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 2,146 words, 820 of which are unique. On average, there are 179 words per track, 68 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.62:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Sport of Measure	117	35	3.34
FKA World	149	75	1.99
Clone	189	85	2.22
Modern Vanity	170	96	1.78
Everything's Glitter	280	110	2.54
Burned Mind	224	44	5.09
Sport of Form	203	63	3.22
Patient Mind	193	79	2.44
Vatican Under Construction	212	67	3.16
Liar 2	227	72	3.15
In Heaven	48	23	1.45
Public Grieving	134	61	2.19

Ultrapop

Released in 2021. The album has 12 tracks, runs 38 minutes and 45 seconds, and has an average track length of 3 minutes and 14 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 1,714 words, 840 of which are unique. On average, there are 143 words per track, 70 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.04:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Ultrapop	68	44	1.54
All Futures	276	64	4.31
Masunaga Vapors	92	60	1.53
A Life So Wonderful	176	118	1.49
An Iteration	164	70	2.34
Big Shell	70	52	1.34
Average Death	146	70	2.08
Faith In Medication	149	90	1.65
Where Man Knows Want	150	64	2.34
Real Folk Blues	147	95	1.54
Bad Selection	227	79	2.87
The Music Becomes a Skull	49	34	1.44

Cyberpunk 2077 Radio, Vol. 1*

Released in 2020. The track runs 3 minutes and 25 seconds. The track contains a total of 142 words, 47 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 3.02:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Night City Aliens	142	47	3.02

*) A compilation of various artists.

Ft. Frank Turner

Released in 2019. The track runs 1 minute and 28 seconds. The track contains a total of 122 words, 79 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 1.54:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Ft. Frank Turner	122	79	1.54

Only Love

Released in 2018. The album has 11 tracks, runs 38 minutes and 23 seconds, and has an average track length of 3 minutes and 29 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 1,258 words, 470 of which are unique. On average, there are 114 words per track, 43 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.67:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Witness	96	59	1.62
Role Models	150	48	3.12
Nowhere to Be Found	42	29	1.44
Apperception	77	60	1.28
Parody Warning	94	63	1.49
Fortune's Daughter	231	85	2.71
Luxury Themes	204	85	2.40
Heavily Lined	108	41	2.63
Middle Homes	147	75	1.96
Ultraglass	55	38	1.44
On Jupiter	54	41	1.31

Untitled

Released in 2015. The album has 14 tracks, runs 41 minutes and 8 seconds, and has an average track length of 2 minutes and 56 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 2,029 words, 887 of which are unique. On average, there are 145 words per track, 63 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.29:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Future Drugs	136	70	1.94
Forever Scum	234	86	2.72
Nervewrecker	87	36	2.41
Rhythm 0	159	96	1.65
Enemies Closer	176	83	2.12
Blessings	225	81	2.77
Dead Actress	88	45	1.95
Polarizer	189	69	2.73
Ender	68	45	1.51
No Risk	158	79	2.00
Issachar	136	75	1.81
Paradise Day	163	26	6.26
Rage of Youth	115	60	1.91
Dead Artist	95	36	2.64

The Armed / Tharsis They Split*

Released in 2013. The EP has 2 tracks, runs 5 minutes and 3 seconds, and has an average track length of 2 minutes and 32 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 435 words, 195 of which are unique. On average, there are 217 words per track, 97 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.23:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Culture Faded	200	109	1.83
American Lives	235	86	2.73

*) Also contains 2 tracks by Tharsis They that are disregarded.

Spreading Joy

Released in 2012. The EP has 5 tracks, runs 7 minutes and 59 seconds, and has an average track length of 1 minute and 36 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 391 words, 196 of which are unique. On average, there are 78 words per track, 39 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 1.99:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Cop Friends	100	46	2.17
No Rest Until Ruin	102	54	1.88
Bloat	61	32	1.91
Sterling Results	0	0	0
Countervictims	128	64	2.00

Young & Beautiful

Released in 2011. The EP has 5 tracks, runs 13 minutes and 27 seconds, and has an average track length of 2 minutes and 41 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 801 words, 367 of which are unique. On average, there are 160 words per track, 73 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.18:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Young & Beautiful	116	69	1.68
Mujahoudini	135	72	1.87
Pushing Daisies	239	81	2.95
Maize Maze	110	54	2.03
You Have Died	201	91	2.21

Common Enemies

Released in 2010. The EP has 4 tracks, runs 10 minutes and 16 seconds, and has an average track length of 2 minutes and 34 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 580 words, 209 of which are unique. On average, there are 145 words per track, 52 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 2.77:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Death Panel	153	76	2.01
Liar	200	84	2.38
Second Hand	0	0	0
Woodenlung	227	49	4.63

These Are Lights

Released in 2009. The album has 10 tracks, runs 26 minutes and 17 seconds, and has an average track length of 2 minutes and 38 seconds. The tracks contain a total of 1,342 words, 709 of which are unique. On average, there are 134 words per track, 71 of which are unique. The ratio of total words to unique words is 1.89:1.

Track	Tot.	Uni.	Rat.
Party at Pablo's	166	68	2.44
Kingbreaker	204	102	2.00
Hail Troglodon	102	54	1.88
As Centaurs	157	92	1.70
Buy a Snake	123	78	1.57
I Steal What I Want	0	0	0
Grand Party Frankenstein	214	93	2.30
Terrordactyl	100	72	1.38
Elephant	146	77	1.89
The Great Fatsby	130	73	1.78

Closing Remarks

So, what do we make of this? The Armed uses relatively few words, with an emphasis on relatively, because these circumstances are due more to the style than to the band. Hardcore is terse in lyric content, it favors shouted or screamed delivery, and compact lyrical phrases rather than long, dense verses. Pop, for instance, is much more talkative and uses multiple repeated sections such as verse, chorus, bridge.

Ultrapop has 1,714 words, while Swift's The Life of a Showgirl has 4,862 words, despite having the same number of tracks and being only three minutes longer. However, it doesn't necessarily have more to say. In Ultrapop, the ratio of total words to unique words is 2.04:1, meaning almost every second word is unique. In The Life of a Showgirl, the ratio is 2.86, making it far more repetitive.

Anyway, here are a few numbers and rankings for you:

The Armed use the word "I" 430 times, whereas they use "You" 323 times. They use the word "Nothing" 52 times, whereas they use the word "Everything" 41 times. The Armed use the word "Love" 45 times, whereas they use the word "War" 26 times. And The Armed use the word "Yeah" 135 times. Yeah.