who pays the piper calls the tune

English

Alternative forms

• he who pays the piper calls the tune
• whoever pays the piper calls the tune

Etymology

From the classic legend, The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Proverb

who pays the piper calls the tune

1. The person paying for something is the one who gets to say how it should be done

Translations

one who pays for something controls it

• Catalan: qui paga mana
• Central Franconian: wä de Musik bestellt, dä bestemmp, wat se spillt
• Estonian: kes maksab, see tellib ka muusika
• Finnish: kenen leipää syöt, sen lauluja laulat
• German: (dated) wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing (de) (literally “whose bread I eat, his song I sing”)
• Polish: kto płaci, ten wymaga
• Russian: кто пла́тит, тот и зака́зывает му́зыку (ru) (kto plátit, tot i zakázyvajet múzyku)
• Scottish Gaelic: 's e am fear a phàigheas am pìobaire a stiùireas am port

See also

• money talks
• you pays your money and you takes your choice
• you pays your money and you takes your chances
• you get what you pay for