{{Short description|1948 jazz standard}} {{about|the song|the album by Randy Johnston|Detour Ahead (album)|the Paul Westmoreland song|Detour (song)}}{{Infobox song | name = Detour Ahead | written = 1947 | genre = Jazz standard | writer = Herb Ellis, Lou Carter, Johnny Frigo }} "'''Detour Ahead'''" is a jazz standard written by Herb Ellis,<ref>{{Cite web |last=steve |date=2012-06-11 |title=Herb Ellis: A Blue, Smooth Road |url=https://wallacebass.com/herb-ellis-a-blue-smooth-road/ |access-date=2026-05-12 |website=Steve Wallace |language=en-CA}}</ref> Johnny Frigo,<ref>{{Cite web |title=riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu |url=https://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/guests/johnny-frigo |access-date=2026-05-12 |website=riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu}}</ref> and Lou Carter.<ref name="JS">{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Detour Ahead (1948) |publisher= |url=http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-5/detourahead.htm |website=jazzstandards.com |accessdate=February 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Silbergleit |first1=Paul |title=25 Great Jazz Guitar Solos: Transcriptions * Lessons * Bios * Photos |date=1 November 2015 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=978-1-4950-5541-6 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q-8fDAAAQBAJ&dq=Detour+Ahead+Herb+Ellis+song&pg=PA79 |access-date=19 July 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=J. Wilfred |title=Ella Fitzgerald: An Annotated Discography; Including a Complete Discography of Chick Webb |date=5 August 2010 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5039-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zCEkCQAAQBAJ&dq=Detour+Ahead+Herb+Ellis+song&pg=PA220 |access-date=19 July 2023 |language=en}}</ref> It was composed in 1947 with the first recording done by Woody Herman and his orchestra with vocals by Mary Ann McCall in 1949.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collection: Woody Herman big band charts collection, 1946-1988 {{!}} |url=https://berklee.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/41 |access-date=2026-05-11 |website=berklee.libraryhost.com}}</ref> The song uses an automobile trip as a metaphor for a treacherous, doomed romantic relationship. The lyrics warn of emotional danger, advising a lover to "wake up" and "slow down" before facing heartbreak. It compares the progression of a relationship to driving, where a seemingly "smooth road" can abruptly become dangerous. It identifies "danger signs" and "soft shoulders" in the romance, urging the listener to recognize they are headed in the wrong direction before it's too late and warns the listener to "turn back" to avoid smashing their heart, referring to the person in the relationship as a "gullible clown" for ignoring the warning signs. The song portrays a mature, albeit sad, realization of a relationship’s failure. Since its' release, it has been covered by various jazz musicians, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sophie Milman, Bill Evans, and Billie Holiday (which is considered to be the most definitive version of the song).<ref>https://www.allsolos.com/recording/1259/detour-ahead</ref>
== Notable versions ==
* Billie Holiday with the Tiny Grimes Sextet (1951) * Ella Fitzgerald (1959)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zirpolo |first=Mike |date=2018-09-29 |title=“Detour Ahead” (1959) Ella Fitzgerald |url=https://swingandbeyond.com/2018/09/29/detour-ahead-1959-ella-fitzgerald/ |access-date=2026-05-11 |website=Swing & Beyond |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="JS" /> * Bill Evans Trio on the 1962 album ''Waltz for Debby'' * Patti Page (1957) * Teri Thornton (1961) * Anita O'Day (1961) * Della Reese * Bev Kelly * Dianne Reeves (1995) * Jane Monheit
==See also== *List of 1940s jazz standards
==References== <references /> {{Johnny Frigo|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}} Category:1940s jazz standards Category:1947 songs Category:Billie Holiday songs Category:Songs about romance Category:Songs about cars Category:Songs about roads Category:1940s jazz compositions Category:Ella Fitzgerald songs Category:Diana Krall songs