The Rare Breed - Beg, Borrow and Steal (1966)

Coming out of Brooklyn, New York, this group was made up of sixteen and seventeen year olds who recorded at Attack Records in 1966. They released their first single, the song below, without having a band name or being under contract. Without the group’s consent, the record company chose a band name for them, sold 500,000 copies of the single, and never gave the group their recognition. Unaware, the group released one more single before catching on, signing with Cameo Parkway Records, changing their name to Ohio Express, and releasing a remixed version of their first single.

This song is the original version released in 1966. The August 1967 re-release, under the name Ohio Express, reached number one in Columbus, Ohio and became a national hit by September 1967.



The Rare Breed - Beg, Borrow and Steal (1966)

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Lyrics:

You threw me out the night before last
And now you want me back in your arms again
You think I'm a fool; you treat me like dirt
You pull the string and hope I will be your friend
But I know what's on your mind
So I'd rather stay out in the street without a dime

And I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal
I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal
I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Yeah!

How long did ya think I'd hang around
Pretending not to see the tricks you pulled on me?
There's only so much a man can take
Before his life turns into a tragedy
So I'm gettin' out now while I can
‘Cause I don't want to crawl
I want to walk out like a man

And I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal
I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal
I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Than go back to you (go back to you)
Than go back to you (go back to you)

I'd rather beg, borrow, and steal…