"Detour (There's a Muddy Road Ahead)" is a Western swing ballad written by Paul Westmoreland in 1945. The original version was by Jimmy Walker with Paul Westmoreland and His Pecos River Boys, issued around the beginning of November 1945.

Background

Westmoreland wrote the song while traveling to Murphy, North Carolina. He debuted the song in the neighboring town of Hayesville. The title comes from the repetition of detour in the chorus: Written in the first person, the song tells of the singer's regrets for the choices made in life.

1946 recordings

Other versions

Willie Nelson and Leon Russell on the album One For The Road (1979; not released as a single, album charted #3 on Billboard country)

Popular culture