A Cottage for Sale

"A Cottage for Sale"
Song by The Revelers
Published1929
ComposerWillard Robison
LyricistLarry Conley

"A Cottage for Sale" is a popular song, with music by Willard Robison and lyrics by Larry Conley. It was published in 1929, and has been recorded over 100 times; the first ones to be released were by The Revelers in January 1930 and by Bernie Cummins with the New Yorker Orchestra in March 1930.

Lyrics and themes

The song uses an empty cottage as a metaphor of a failed relationship or the end of a long relationship perhaps in death.

Our little dream castle
With every dream gone
Is lonely and silent
The shades are all drawn
And my heart is heavy
As I gaze upon
A cottage for sale
The lawn we were proud of
Is waving in hay
Our beautiful garden has
Withered away.
Where we planted roses
The weeds seem to say...
A cottage for sale
Through every window
I see your face
But when I reach (the) window
There's (only) empty space
The key's in the mailbox
The same as before
But no one is waiting for me anymore
The end of our story
Is there on the door
A cottage for sale.

Recordings

The song has become a standard, with artists from a variety of genres creating many notable recordings. A partial list follows:

Other performances, date unknown:

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "New Songs of Larry Conley". 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-01-23. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  3. ↑ [permanent dead link]
  4. ↑ "Victor 22000 - 22500". 78discography.com. 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  5. ↑ The Sinatra recording
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 181.
  7. ↑ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Willie Nelson Announces 'That's Life' Frank Sinatra Tribute Album, Shares "Cottage For Sale" [Video]". L4LM. 2020-12-12. Retrieved 2021-01-03.