Violet Grohl is playing a Dork's Night Out at London's 100 Club•
All Points East has revealed four days of free community events in Victoria Park•
BTS are turning London into a citywide celebration ahead of their 'ARIRANG' shows•
Steve Lacy has teamed up with SZA on new single 'is it cool?'
•
My First Time explore the urge to escape on new single 'Paris, Texas'•
deBasement have announced their new EP 'HARDBODY' and shared teaser track 'CUT THE LINE'•
Mura Masa and Ledbyher join forces on break-driven new single 'Needja'•
Beck and Sierra Ferrell have teamed up for a new version of 'Ride Lonesome'•
Baby Queen turns the spotlight on herself with new album 'I Hope You Don't Remember Me'•
Cara Delevingne has released new single 'Need It', co-written with Fiona Apple•
Empress Of has announced her new album 'Dream House', featuring Blood Orange and Cecile Believe•
Ravyn Lenae weighs up an old flame on new single 'Saturday Night'•
Cruz Beckham has announced his debut EP 'Wear & Tear'•
Brandon Flowers has 'Plans' ahead of his solo return 'Thrasher'•
Carly Rae Jepsen has dropped her new single 'On Wires' ahead of double album 'Day and Night'•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Violet Grohl is playing a Dork's Night Out at London's 100 Club•
All Points East has revealed four days of free community events in Victoria Park•
BTS are turning London into a citywide celebration ahead of their 'ARIRANG' shows•
Steve Lacy has teamed up with SZA on new single 'is it cool?'•
My First Time explore the urge to escape on new single 'Paris, Texas'•
deBasement have announced their new EP 'HARDBODY' and shared teaser track 'CUT THE LINE'•
Mura Masa and Ledbyher join forces on break-driven new single 'Needja'•
Beck and Sierra Ferrell have teamed up for a new version of 'Ride Lonesome'•
Baby Queen turns the spotlight on herself with new album 'I Hope You Don't Remember Me'•
Cara Delevingne has released new single 'Need It', co-written with Fiona Apple•
Empress Of has announced her new album 'Dream House', featuring Blood Orange and Cecile Believe•
Ravyn Lenae weighs up an old flame on new single 'Saturday Night'•
Cruz Beckham has announced his debut EP 'Wear & Tear'•
Brandon Flowers has 'Plans' ahead of his solo return 'Thrasher'•
Carly Rae Jepsen has dropped her new single 'On Wires' ahead of double album 'Day and Night'•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Dork
News
Features
Reviews
Magazine
Shop
Listings
Directory
Festivals
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS
Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
Playlist Covers
Playlist Directory
Recommender
Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS
Music Video Directory
Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST
Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED
Dork Live
Dork Radio
Live
Live 24/7
Dork Radio
Dork
Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

June 2026

Latest issue variants

View archive
Dork, June 2026 (Bleachers cover)

Bleachers

Dork, June 2026 (Myles Smith cover)

Myles Smith

Dork, June 2026 (Towa Bird cover)

Towa Bird

Advertise
|
Support|
About Dork|
Privacy Policy|
Genres|
Years|
Sitemap|
RSS|
Cookie settings
© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Powered by PlaywireAdvertise on this site.
  1. Tracks
  2. Ab-Soul
  3. Do What Thou Wilt.
  4. INvocation

TRACK

Ab-Soul

INvocation

Release date: 9th December 2016

From Do What Thou Wilt.
Spotify More on Ab-Soul

About This Track

Ab-Soul builds 'INvocation' around a prayer twisted into a boast. The chorus, shared with Kokane, remakes the children's bedtime prayer into a declaration of spiritual self-sufficiency: "A-L, now I lay me down to sleep / L-A, I pray the Lord my soul's a G." The song moves between invocation and defiance, collapsing the distance between the divine and the self with the repeated assertion "He is I and I am Him." Across two verses, Ab-Soul moves from philosophical complaint to the texture of his own celebrity. He names himself an outsider artist, argues against the reduction of hip-hop to materialism, and sketches the small absurdities of fame: white children asking for autographs, arguments about him in barbershops, the weight of existing as a public figure. His voice stays measured even when the refrain turns hostile, the anger directed outward at systems rather than inward. The track sits at the intersection of spiritual questioning and rap's traditional self-assertion, neither quite settling into either register.

"INvocation" is a track by Ab-Soul, from the album Do What Thou Wilt., released 9th December 2016. Full lyrics are available below.

Lyrics

INvocation

[Intro: Ab-Soul]

Say hip hop! (Hip hop!)

Say hip hop! (Hip hop!)

[Chorus: Ab-Soul & Kokane]

A-L, now I lay me down to sleep

L-A, I pray the Lord my soul's a G

H, wait, if I OD 'fore I wake

I pray I resurrect with a hangover on the third day

Godbody, ‘cause He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

Yes, He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

They ain't me and I ain't them

[Verse 1: Ab-Soul]

They say pussy and paper is poetry, power and pistols

Nuclear power plants and missiles

Real warfare

Yeah, this where the wealthy need welfare

I’m an immortal man on healthcare

Yeah, my cautious conscience give me nightmares

I stopped dreamin' many eons ago though

I paid my dues and rocked the bells, like Quasimodo

On the low though, Soulo only artist on CROWN

Without a solo album in the stores though

I got my opinions, form yours, what do you suggest?

It's been a drill to be ill, you ain't really sick

Who you amusin' next? (Z, Z)

[Chorus: Ab-Soul & Kokane]

A-L, now I lay me down to sleep

L-A, I pray the Lord my soul's a G

H, wait, if I OD 'fore I wake

I pray I resurrect with a hangover on the third day

Godbody, ‘cause He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

Yes, He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

They ain't me and I ain't them

[Refrain: Ab-Soul]

Motherfuck the government, motherfuck the system

Motherfuck you, I'm just livin'

[Verse 2: Ab-Soul]

Aye, man, I'm a sort of a rock and a hard place

Like a guitar in the Hard Rock Cafe

They argue about me in barbershops when I got crop

Hmm, what a paradox!

I'm borderline crazy, with a stamped up passport

Gettin' past TSA with shit stashed

Smellin' like a hundred ashtrays

Little white kids askin' for my autograph

Hey, man, I'm off half a Xan, off to my aircraft

[Chorus: Ab-Soul & Kokane]

A-L, now I lay me down to sleep

L-A, I pray the Lord my soul's a G

H, wait, if I OD 'fore I wake

I pray I resurrect with a hangover on the third day

Godbody, ‘cause He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

Yes, He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

They ain't me and I ain't them

[Refrain: Ab-Soul]

Motherfuck the government, motherfuck the system

Motherfuck you, I'm just livin'

[Bridge: Ab-Soul]

So I say, so I say, so I say, catch another plane

Represent my hood in every state up in the USA

I'm feelin' good today

Feelin' good to be from D.A., I had to do it

[Verse 3: Ab-Soul]

Back to the music, back to the fact I'm actually stupid

Stupid meaning genius, come suck Jesus' penis on Venus

Back to reality, sadly I'm actually Jewish

Or whatever you wish to call me

I don't wanna offend nobody (l'chaim)

Just remind them all, that it's real

Like where the Ark of the Covenant is still

Foolish humans, this is faith without the H

The work is never done, dummy, the lazy will be late

A stewardess who was familiar with my music

Said: “You must be living the life.”

I looked at her with my red eyes

Like, “I ain't going on no vacation

I ain't going on no vacation

Baby, I ain't going on no vacation

'Til I fulfill my vocation."

My vocation, vocation

[Chorus: Ab-Soul & Kokane]

A-L, now I lay me down to sleep

L-A, I pray the Lord my soul's a G

H, wait, if I OD 'fore I wake

I pray I resurrect with a hangover on the third day

Godbody, ‘cause He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

Yes, He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

He is I and I am Him (Soulo)

They ain't me and I ain't them

[Outro: Kokane & Ab-Soul]

Soulo, Soulo

They ain't me and I ain't them

Soulo, Soulo

They ain't me and I ain't them

Track details

From Do What Thou Wilt.

2016
Listen
Album
Do What Thou Wilt.
Do What Thou Wilt.
Ab-Soul
Release year
2016

More from Ab-Soul

Albums & EPs

HERBERT
HERBERT

Explore

More tracks by Ab-Soul

  1. . . .
  2. 3RD EYERONY
  3. 9 Mile
  4. All That
  5. AMBITIONZ AZ A WRITER.
  6. B.U.C.K.O. JR
  7. Be That As It May
  8. California Dream
  9. CHRIST'S CAKE.
  10. Crazier

Showing 10 of 50

If you like Ab-Soul

ScHoolboy Q

ScHoolboy Q

Jay Rock

Jay Rock

Mick Jenkins

Mick Jenkins

Black Hippy

Black Hippy

Isaiah Rashad

Isaiah Rashad

Bas

Bas

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →
CHRIST'S CAKE.
  • PERFECT 9.
  • AMBITIONZ AZ A WRITER.
  • ONLY ONE, THERE IS.
  • DA COAT & DA BOAT.
  • 3RD EYERONY
  • NEVER ENOUGH MONEY.
  • FIRST DAY OF ETERNITY.
  • TIMES UP.
  • STILL
  • UDK.
  • STOP HATIN ON ME.
  • SPAR 002
  • Be That As It May
  • . . .
  • SPAR 003
  • Norbit
  • SOUL BURGER: The Odyssey
  • Runnin' All Fades
  • Rap Camp
  • P.O.P Hold It Down
  • LIL HERB.
  • Real Prophet$
  • Saudi Sweats
  • California Dream
  • 9 Mile
  • B.U.C.K.O. JR
  • Don Julio 70
  • Paiday
  • Peace
  • Righteous Man
  • Go Pro
  • The Sky Is Limitless
  • Dnd
  • I, Myself & Me
  • On The Radar Freestyle
  • Crazier
  • All That
  • Soul Burger
  • Squeeze 1St 2
  • Icarus Outro
  • No Sweat
  • View all tracks by Ab-Soul →

    Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Ab-Soul, Kokane, Rahki
    Producer
    Rahki
    READ MORE ABOUT AB-SOULREAD MORE ABOUT AB-SOUL
    READ MORE ABOUT AB-SOULREAD MORE ABOUT AB-SOUL

    No coverage available for Ab-Soul yet.