Boozoo Chavis (born: Wilson Anthony Chavis) was one of the pioneers of zyde… Read Full Bio ↴Boozoo Chavis (born: Wilson Anthony Chavis) was one of the pioneers of zydeco, the Cajun and blues hybrid originating in southwest Louisiana. Although his self-composed 1954 single, "Paper in My Shoes," was the first zydeco hit, Chavis was distrustful of the music industry and refused to perform publicly or record again until 1984. In an interview featured in the 1990 book, The New Folk Music, Chavis explained, "I got gypped out of my record. I get frustrated, sometimes. I love to play, but, when I get to thinking about 1955... They stole my record. They said that it only sold 150,000 copies. But, my cousin, who used to live in Boston, checked it out. It sold over a million copies. I was supposed to have a gold record." After leaving the music business, Chavis devoted his attention to raising champion racehorses in Shreveport and Lafayette, Louisiana and Texas. Chavis waited until 1984 before returning to music. Signing a five-year contract with the Maison de Soul label, he recorded four albums — Louisiana Zydeco Music, Boozoo Zydeco!, Zydeco Homebrew and Zydeco Trail Ride. Chavis' 1997 album, Hey, Do Right, was produced by Terry Adams, keyboardist for NRBQ, who paid tribute to Chavis in their 1989 song, "Boozoo, That's Who."

Chavis' performances, with his band, the Majic Sounds, included much-heralded appearance at the Newport Folk Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The New York Times wrote, "(Chavis is) chaos on two feet. A little bullet of a man, he runs around onstage, shouting and yelling....(his) music can achieve a trancelike intensity". In a review of Chavis' performance at the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, Paul Scott wrote, "There are a lot of Boozoo prototypes coming out. They may be smoother than Boozoo but they try to get his hard accordion; that rough, raw, style; and his sore throat type of singing. And with that single-note and triple-note accordion, he's doing a lot to bring a return to basic zydeco'.

The son of tenant farmers, Chavis acquired his nickname as a youngster. Chavis was raised by his mother who cleaned houses and sold barbecue at horseraces until raising enough money to buy a three acre tract of land where she and Chavis moved in 1944. Acquiring an accordion from his father and teaching himself to play, Chavis was soon playing at local barn dances and in the dance club, opened by his mother, where he often sat in with Morris Chenier and his sons, Clifton and Cleveland. In 1994, Chavis appeared in Robert Mugge's video documentary, The Kingdom of Zydeco. He was inducted into the Zydeco Hall of Fame four years later. And continuing to release music into the new millennium, Chavis issued Johnnie Billy Goat in fall 2000. On May 5, 2001 Chavis died after suffering from complications related to a heart attack he had a month earlier.

Paper In My Shoe
Boozoo Chavis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got a paper in my shoe
I got a paper in my shoe
Oh what your mama don't know
And what your papa don't mind
Oh what your mama don't know
And what your papa don't mind
I got a paper in my shoe

J'ai un papier dans mon soulier
J'ai un papier dans mon soulier
Pour ça ta maman connaît pas
Et ça ton père veut pas
Pour ça ta maman connaît pas
Et ça ton père veut pas
J'ai un papier dans mon soulier

I got a paper in my shoe
I got a paper in my shoe
Oh what your mama don't know
And what your papa don't mind
Oh what your mama don't know
And what your papa don't mind
I got a paper in my shoe

Oh don't you worry about your baby
Oh don't you worry about your baby
Oh don't you worry about your baby
Oh don't you worry about your baby

And what your mama don't know
I got a paper in my shoe

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Boozoo Chavis's song "Paper In My Shoe" seem simple on the surface but can be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener's experience. The line "I got a paper in my shoe" could refer to a note or message that the singer is hiding from someone, possibly a lover's secret that the family members should not know. It could also refer to a talisman that the singer carries with them for good luck or protection, which they slip inside their shoe as a discreet and personal reminder.

The repetition of the lines "Oh what your mama don't know, and what your papa don't mind" reinforces the idea that the singer is doing something that society or family members do not approve of, but they do it anyway, perhaps as a way to assert their independence or express their true self. The line "Oh don't you worry about your baby" could be addressed to someone who is concerned about the singer's well-being and choices, but the singer reassures them that they are in control and do not need to conform to others' expectations.

The song's music, a mix of zydeco and blues with accordion, guitar, and percussion, adds to the festive and rebellious mood of the lyrics. Overall, "Paper In My Shoe" celebrates the joy of personal freedom and creativity, even if it means going against the norm or keeping a secret.

Line by Line Meaning

I got a paper in my shoe
I have something hidden in my shoe

Oh what your mama don't know
What your mother doesn't know

And what your papa don't mind
And what your father doesn't care about

Oh what your mama don't know
What your mother doesn't know

And what your papa don't mind
And what your father doesn't care about

I got a paper in my shoe
I have something hidden in my shoe

Oh don't you worry about your baby
Don't worry about your child

And what your mama don't know
What your mother doesn't know

I got a paper in my shoe
I have something hidden in my shoe

Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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01Paper In My Shoe2:45

PT2M45S

Boozoo Chavis

02Forty One Days2:55

03Hamburgers And Popcorn1:56

04Oh Yae Yae3:33

05My Love Just For You2:30

06Pallet On The Floor2:04

07Oh Ho She's Gone2:13

08Bye Bye Catin2:51

09Brand New Mojo2:02

10Telephone Won't Ring2:18

11Tee Black2:24

12Bottle Up And Go2:08

13Comma Lemma Chapo Sha2:27

14Lost The Paper In My Shoe2:07

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Comments from YouTube:

@jimmymurphy7789

18w

So hauntingly African - Bluesey, Soulful & Humorous all at the same time. That single chord in the background sounds like a musical stringed gourd droning way out in the distance of the jungle.

@sidgriffin813

8y↑18

I think this is a terrific performance and a killer recording. No one is in tune with anyone else and the bass is not even in tune with itself. Boozoo has odd timings so he changes chords at times which seem to surprise some of the folks in the band. So what's not to like? This song still swings and it makes the unpolished Velvet Underground live performances sound like an orchestra. Boozoo is the greatest, a true Louisiana hero. I love this platter to bits.

@dandenerstein

Read Million Dollar Bash last year. Loved it.

@RBRM3

You answered your own rhetorical question!

@Slackrer

4y↑3

That's my grandfather. I wish I could've met you. :(

@karlkellar8614

35w

Just fantastic, outstanding.

@rogerbutler-borruat3705

You bout coverd it, Sid! Killer O.G. Boozoo. Had the pleasure of seeing him in NOLA in 97. Time-uh-less!

@lonesomecowboygurt

3y↑2

thank you frank zappa for introducing me to this

@cliftonfusliercliftonlarry2739

9y↑2

I met Mr boozoo and his wife very charming people have been real good friends with him for years

@zoyazia7074

9y↑6

Listened to this for 2 years straight in music class

@robertblues6378

9y↑3

It has been stated that the studio band in 1954 did not know how to follow Boozoo Chavis since he broke time a lot. Many of the players who play Creole and traditional zydeco play by their own time changes; always interesting if you are trying to follow their lead.

@robertblues6378

9y↑2

Dr. Robert Carter is correct; L. C. Donatto used to do this song and his bass player is still living. He says its about having a marriage license in his shoe that the parents do not know about. People used to keep their valuables in their shoes . We were practicing this song tonight and Lawrence Howard, the bass player, told the story about the song. It is about a paper, a marriage license, in my shoe. Lots of songs were based on prior songs such as the US National Anthem. Not sure where all these people come up with this other stuff.

@randomandrare

15y↑2

Thank you for your comment. This was Boozoo's debut recording. I'm going to post the other side of it soon.

@brideym

12y↑14

Wow, you're all stunningly wrong. This is about hoodoo. When a hoodoo practitioner puts a paper in their shoe, the name of their enemy is written on the paper. The paper is then put in the shoe to keep the enemy under the foot. Every time the hoodoo steps down, the enemy is ground beneath the heel. It's very basic and very effective magic. Hence the line "Don't you worry about your baby." In other words, the situation is being handled. I got a paper in my shoe.

@RBRM3

Way to copy and paste, you sure showed them lol

@whatsteatarot5953

👏 very true

@whatsteatarot5953

@Palma C. ummm slaves didn’t have shoes but they still practiced their beliefs

@monicadelegal6964

Thats not right either.

@love2squishy

11y↑4

Absolutely right bridey this song is referencing a popular hoodoo practice ....look it up :)

@keondrasanders9301

I thought so

@sidgriffin813

Yep, Daniel Denerstein, I wrote that book. Thank you.

@ROXYVOAKES

12y↑1

EFFIN LOVE ZYDECO :)

@MrConeye

14y↑1

@IronicallyVague Really it is about putting a paper with a ladies phone number in his shoe to hide from his wife. Hence the "what your moma don't know, your papa don't lie" line, talking to his kid that catches sight of the paper when he takes off his shoe.

@malkiabenzy

💛

@aspiva4

12y↑1

Try not to wiggle your backbone when you hear this song

@sequinlan7

13y↑2

I guess everyone has their own interpretation of the song. I remember being told it was because his shoes were to big so he used paper to fill the void. I like the 'ladies phone number' version better...

@MrJadePinwheel

I got some people in my shoe

@godbackwards

7y↑1

hoodoo!

@MrMusicguyma

5y↑2

One chord wonder The guitar never changes. Boozoo is wonderfully singing off tune to the one chord. So wrong it's right ; )

@wadefalcon7344

7y↑1

Read more: https://earlycajunmusic.blogspot.com/2017/09/paper-in-my-shoe-boozoo-chavis.html

@guppyskull

8y↑7

He's actually singing "I got a Papal in my Shoe", a reference to a time when Acadians secretly carried a tiny picture of the pope in their shoes, as Catholicism and the speaking of the French language was frowned upon.

@melekali1

8y↑1

True dat.

@alejandroallen1949

Lol

@chopsddy3

5y↑1

Man....you musta’ never worked in Louisiana. LOL 😂 He’s just talking about his day and his attempt to avoid hookworm.
True though. Love BooZoo. I had an uncle Bud too.

@whatsteatarot5953

😂 so wrong

@SAHBfan

14y

Is there any truth in the rumour that the rest of the band is so low down in the mix because Boozoo and the band are actually playing in different keys?

@SpiralsShadeaux

13y

paper in da shoe, means he got paid and is going to town to spend is money,(cash in shoe.)

@myfragilelilac

4y↑2

Remember when my father played this when I was child. I found it weird the guy had paper in his shoes. Until I later found out the backstory. Which is actually pretty sad. The poor guy is collecting money in his shoes.

@GordosGigs

6y↑3

The guitar is so out of tune that it's brilliant.

@RBRM3

Everyone is right about everything and everyone else is wrong!
Just a bunch of people saying the same shit all over again, "it's hoodoo, it's because the shoes are cheap, it has nothing to do with paper or shoes" etc.
Who gives a shit and nobody can say for sure what it's about and if you feel so inclined to prove me wrong, you can't...

@Flametamer9

10y↑1

You people sure like a load of bull...! LOL It's actually from an old song called "pepper in my shoe", nothing to do with paper! Personally, I think the sexual suggestion is pretty apparent.

@meganlawrencejimenez1156

then why don't he say piment dans mon soulier , he clearly says papier dans mon soulier

@Flametamer9

9y↑1

Megan Zack Adams Look folks, the fact is, this song is far, far older than Boozoo Chavez, and may in fact date back to the mid-19th century. It was not originally a Cajun or Louisiana-based song. The earliest version I have heard is a hokum or jug-band song from the 1920's called, "Pebble in my Shoe" but I cannot recall at the moment who recorded it. Boozoo freely changed the song to suit himself and that's okay by me. Cest tout fini!