If you want to set the agenda for the festival, you must pay the piper so you can control the decisions.

After years of ignoring infrastructure needs, the city is now paying the piper, with consecutive emergency repairs draining the budget.

After years of ignoring maintenance warnings, the building owner finally pays the piper.

When the company decided the city's new park would be sponsored by a private donor, the council realized who pays the piper calls the tune.

When the charity gala's sponsors couldn't agree on the playlist, the organizer shrugged and said he who pays the piper calls the tune, so the sponsors picked the band.