sopranos ending. what does it all mean? (spoiler)

okay, i just left a group of people who watched the finale and we each differed on the ultimate meaning of the ending, which is very much in keeping with the spirit of the show.
as for what i think? i think tony died, if no one else. he's watching meadow come in and then he loses consciousness due to a bullet wound inflicted either by the man who entered the bathroom or from the two guys who entered the diner previously. the number of establishing shots, the consistency of car trouble before a violent act that has run throughout the series, all have me leaning toward that interpretation. however, the notion that these are all a manipulated edits and punch ins, etc. existing to show that life goes on but that we shouldn't "stop believing" (the track accompanying the final scene) is an equally compelling conclusion served by the exact same evidence as my more dramatic translation. i will have to watch the show again to really speak on any firm ground because my dinner companions were too busy yapping away for me to observe closely but i'm curious to hear what anyone else thinks happened.
whatever happened, the sopranos and my sunday night routine will be sadly missed....

ps- i'd like to add that there was no music in the credits, which has always been prevalent in the series. yet another supporting piece of evidence (to my mind) that tony died (he looked up just before the scene went to black. at what? methinks a gun.)

pps- okay, clearly i like resolution and drama. i like the idea of blackness representing more than just another day at the office, but clearly not many people agree with me. here's what the AP just put out as its verdict on the sopranos, and i would not be surprised if they're right but still i have to stick to my guns because dammit, i am just another hollywood sucker who, like the religious zealot, needs to find definitive meaning and reduce the world to black and white.

No Easy Ending for 'The Sopranos'

By FRAZIER MOORE
AP Television Writer

...Despite suspicions to the contrary, neither Paulie Walnuts nor Patsy Parisi sold out Tony. And neither was whacked. Dr. Melfi, who kicked Tony out of therapy last week, made no last-minute appearance.

Sure, headaches lie ahead for Tony. The Feds are still after him. And Meadow's fiance, Patsy Jr., is a lawyer who may well be pursuing cases that intrude on Tony's business interests.

So what else is new?

The finale displayed their lives continuing, for better and worse, unaffected by the fact that the series is done. The implication was, they will go on as usual. We just won't be able to watch.