call the tune

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

to be in a position of authority or control that allows one to determine how events unfold or how resources are used; from the longer expression he who pays the piper calls the tune, which articulates the principle that financial control confers decision-making power; calling the tune describes the exercise of directive authority — whether in a business, a creative collaboration, a political negotiation, or a relationship — by the party whose resources, position, or leverage gives them the effective power to set the agenda and determine the terms on which others participate