dancing to someone's tune

Verb

dance to someone's tune (third-person singular simple present dances to someone's tune, present participle dancing to someone's tune, simple past and past participle danced to someone's tune)

1. To do what someone demands or expects, do as told, defer to someone's wishes or demands, do someone's bidding.
   • You simply become a puppet in the hands of others who will make you dance to their tune. In other words, you reduce yourself to a slave or beggar by mortgaging your happiness on the mercy of others.1995, M.K. Gupta, How To Remain Ever Happy, →ISBN