for a song

Idioms  

1. Very cheaply, for little money, especially for less than something is worth. For example, “I know a man ... sold a goodly manor for a song” (Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well, 3:2). This idiom alludes to the pennies given to street singers or to the small cost of sheet music. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

for a song

It was the least amount of work I had to do for a song that was pre-loved from a moment in a movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

"When I heard that Kylie was looking for a song, I wrote her a bunch, but then I couldn't get them to her."

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

This means that in order for a song to be eligible for royalty payouts, it needs to hit 1,000 streams on the platform.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

“O’Neill may have a fight on her hands to ensure BP’s not sold for a song, and to keep a seat at the table if it were to join forces with a competitor,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

John had heard it, too, and had responded by wriggling, and moving his hands in the air, and making noises, meant, she supposed, to be taken for a song.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

Related Words

• cheap
• economical
• low-cost
• low-priced
• modest
• popular
• reasonable