Plimsouls – Lie, Beg, Borrow, and Steal

I want to thank Pam from allthingsthriller for mentioning this song in my Paisley Underground Music Scene post. I’m a fan of these guys… A Million Miles Away is the first song I posted by them in 2019. When Pam posted the link to this one I knew I had to post it. I like the groove and the power of it. Little did I know about the history of it. 

This song is from their 1983 album Everywhere at Once. It’s a cover of Beg, Borrow, and Steal by The Rare Breed, a 1966 garage rock single later released by The Ohio Express  (the Plimsouls added “Lie”). It’s so funny how music is connected through the decades. The song was written by Ronny (Mouse) Weiss. If that name is kind of familiar to you readers…he is the leader of a Texas Band that I covered a while back called Mouse And The Traps. 

Peter Case, the leader of the Plimsouls, began his musical career in the late 1970s in Los Angeles, where he formed The Nerves, a pioneering power pop/punk rock trio. The Nerves are best known for their song “Hanging on the Telephone.” It was later covered by Blondie, and it reached #5 on the UK singles chart.

After The Nerves disbanded, Case formed The Plimsouls in 1978. The band released several albums and EPs and gained a dedicated following for their live performances. 

They broke up after this album. They reunited without drummer Louie Ramírez to make an album called Kool Trash in 1995. They did get one of the best drummers in rock to replace Ramirez though. Clem Burke of Blondie played with them for a short while.

The Rare Breed’s version of the song. 

Beg, Borrow, and Steal

Well I can’t find love
How lonely life is without love
(without love)
I can’t find love
How lonely life is without love
(without none)
I’m gonna lie, beg, borrow, and steal
‘Til I do get me some

Lie, beg, borrow, and steal
It’s the only way I know
Lie, beg, borrow, and steal
If one don’t work then the other one will

I need my love
How lonely life is without love
(without love)
Well I need my love
How lonely life is without love
(without none)

I’m gonna lie, beg, borrow, and steal
Until I do get me some

….

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

41 thoughts on “Plimsouls – Lie, Beg, Borrow, and Steal”

  2. 90’s music! Lol…hey I was checking out a YouTube video last night it was an hour long technical interview with the Mixing Engineer for Steely Dan’s last 3 albums & he mentioned the drum machine that was invented during that album with what most of the drum machines became thereafter during that 2-year album making journey for what would become ‘Gaucho’ (my favorite of their last 3 awesome Steely Dan albums) & you should be cussing out those guys for starting the fake drum/percussion movement thereafter. Lol…great article by the way Max.

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    1. YEP! I was talking about this the other day. Remember Bette Davis Eyes? I bought the single and I actually liked the fake hand claps and everything because it was different…but then it became over used…and everything had it.
      One of my posts tomorrow will have fake drums on it from the early seventies…yes…early seventies from a Lowery keyboard.

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      2. LOL…yea it bothered me for some reason…we went to record for the first time…our drummer couldn’t be there so they offered fake drums…I said no…they were pissed but we recorded a week later with our drummer.

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  3. not a bad tune either way, I’d not heard either version. the Plimsouls are a band I didn’t hear anything by up north, but since coming here I’ve heard ‘ a Million Miles Away’ quite a bit and it’s a good one… should look into them more. ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ is a great song too, I had no idea they were connected to it

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    1. Case was in the middle of it all it seems. Yea I had no clue this was a cover….and to be written by Ronny from Mouse and the Traps…a band I didn’t think I would hear much again…and their they are!

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  6. Covered by the 1910 FGC? Wow, there’s a Bubblegum band. I hate to say it but my bro had an LP by them- and he paid good lawn-mowing money for it. Well, at it didn’t get much play once he found Beggars Banquet.

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      2. Yea they are pretty much power pop… Christian… of course I love them for it.
        Off topic…I have a Canadian band tomorrow…that I think you might like. IF you take the Everly Brothers and the Country Byrds…smash them together…you would have this band. Sorry…I’m just loving this band.

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  8. I first became aware of Peter Case on a Merle Haggard tribute album called Tulare Dust, which I would recommend if you haven’t heard it. I got a couple of his solo CDs after that in the 90’s, I guess. I read that he had been in this group, but never looked into them. Good rocking tune .

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    1. I respect your musical tastes a lot. You are the one that should be writing these! You have quite a diverse range! The hardest part with me is coming up with a song. I’m listening to Tulare Dust right now…I never heard this Haggard song and I’m a fan.
      I’ll check the album out.

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      1. Thank you, I appreciate that. I could probably do the writing, but I’m computer stupid. If you ever want any suggestions, I’m ready and willing.

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      2. I WILL take you up on that offer. Tomorrow I want your opinion… I have a Canadian band (I said this to Christian just a second ago) IF you take the Everly Brothers and the Country Byrds…smash them together…you would have this band.
        After you hear it tomorrow…if you know something similiar…let me know please.

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      3. One person I would suggest off the top of my head is Chris Smither. He is an excellent songwriter and guitarist. Bonnie Raitt covered a couple of his songs in the 70’s. He writes great songs, but he’s also done a few Dylan covers, and a lot of Mississippi John Hurt, who is one of his big influences. I would suggest his album Up On The Lowdown. It was the first album of his I heard and I think it’s a good starting place. Hope you like it

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      4. Thank you so much! I’m watching him right now…a heck of an acoustic player! Ok…I pulled that album up on Spotify…I’m listening to Link Of Chain right now. Thank you so much. I’ll listen to this tonight!

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  9. It’s a great tune. I really like The Rare Breed/Ohio Express version as well. I love the mid 60s garage band sound and I also like a lot of Bubblegum…The Archies Sugar Sugar was my first record.

    Come on Down to My Boat is a great tune by Rare Breed/Every Mother’s Sun. There’s a slight difference between the versions but it’s miniscule, if I recall correctly. Let’s see…there’s the band Love…oh man! If you don’t know them, check them out! The album Forever Changes is terrific and their first album Love is really good too.

    The Standells Dirty Water album is really good, The Seeds first album is great. The Castaways. And Bobby Fuller Four. To me, the mid 60s garage band era is a real sweet spot in American Rock and Roll.

    I’m a big Mark Lindsey/Paul Revere and the Raiders fan (hated the stupid costumes). Kicks and Hungry are such great proto punk songs. Love that stuff.

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    1. I appreciate you bringing this one up Pam! I blogged about Mouse and the Traps a few months ago…they had no hits to speak of but I liked them…I knew I remembered that name Ronny Weiss who wrote it. I thought this was a Plimsouls written song.

      Thats it! I knew I heard of the Rare Breed Pam…I didn’t think much about it but somehow when I was a kid I had Come On Down To My Boat by them. That is where I heard it from!
      Oh I like some bubblegum as well. Crazy Elephant with Gimme Some Lovin…our band played that. Yes Dirty Water is a classic.

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      2. Oh I like that! Those are two great combinations…. psychedelic/garage.
        I would like to take a week and just post garage band bands…I might do that. This one would be included.

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  10. Pingback: Plimsouls – Lie, Beg, Borrow, and Steal – MobsterTiger

  13. What a great post. Mention Peter Case (big fan) and then somebody stands up, offers a single suggestion and it is Chris Smither. Been a fan of his forever.

    What a great blog.

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