Nervous Norvus

Who was Nervous Norvus?

Nervous Norvus was the performing name of Jimmy Drake. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived for a few years in Ripley, Tennessee, near the Arkansas border. Because of his chronic asthma condition, his family moved to California when he was seven, eventually settling in the Oakwood district of Los Angeles, California. When he was 29 he moved to Oakland, California, where he would live for the rest of his life. His novelty song "Transfusion" was a major hit in 1956, as was a second song, "Ape Call," released later that year.

The lyrics in his song called "Transfusion" concern a careless driver who receives blood transfusions after each accident. Graphic sounds of a car crash are included after each verse. Each stanza concludes with the refrain "Never never never gonna speed again" followed by lines such as "Slip the blood to me, Bud" or "Pour the crimson in me, Jimson." The song was banned on many radio stations in the 1950s. The song was later played on the radio by DJ Barry Hansen, which reportedly led to Hansen's eventual nickname of Dr. Demento.