"Some days I would be there at ten in the morning and wouldn't leave till ten at night, and the others would waltz in for a couple of hours and then leave, because I was doing that painting thing. And they were happy to see that being done"
About this Quote
The subtext is politics. In a group like Fleetwood Mac, where charisma and personal narratives can dominate, Buckingham points to a different kind of authority: the authority of construction. He suggests a tacit agreement in the room: others "waltz in" (a verb that smuggles in entitlement and ease), but theyre "happy to see that being done" because his grind keeps the machine moving. Its half complaint, half justification, half flex.
Contextually, it lands in the long-running story of bands as workplaces disguised as families. Buckingham implies that productivity can buy you tolerance, even when youre difficult, controlling, or simply intense. The irony is that his devotion isnt presented as martyrdom; its portrayed as a necessary imbalance everyone benefits from. Hes not asking for sympathy. Hes reminding you who built the house.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Buckingham, Lindsey. (2026, January 16). Some days I would be there at ten in the morning and wouldn't leave till ten at night, and the others would waltz in for a couple of hours and then leave, because I was doing that painting thing. And they were happy to see that being done. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/some-days-i-would-be-there-at-ten-in-the-morning-107678/
Chicago Style
Buckingham, Lindsey. "Some days I would be there at ten in the morning and wouldn't leave till ten at night, and the others would waltz in for a couple of hours and then leave, because I was doing that painting thing. And they were happy to see that being done." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/some-days-i-would-be-there-at-ten-in-the-morning-107678/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Some days I would be there at ten in the morning and wouldn't leave till ten at night, and the others would waltz in for a couple of hours and then leave, because I was doing that painting thing. And they were happy to see that being done." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/some-days-i-would-be-there-at-ten-in-the-morning-107678/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.


