To feel jealous over a lover’s obsession with a car is probably a sign that there’s something wrong with oneself, or one’s lover, or both. Jealousy of a dog I could get, but a dumb machine? “That Pontiac GTO pile,” in this case?—although the 1970 GTO Judge was pretty awesome. Still, it doesn’t seem worth it, though I am admittedly not a car person. More than anything, this funny little gem of a song hearkens back to a time when cars were fully mechanical, not tires attached to a motherboard. When an everyman actually could work on a car.

The Go-Go's, "Skidmarks on My Heart," written by Charlotte Caffey and Belinda Carlisle, 1981.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to May 31, 2025.

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