Some boxes can never be sealed shut.
He tried, gently, to pack away the pictures, the frames, the shirts, the memories. One by one. As if wrapping them up could somehow quiet the ache in his chest. But deep down, he knew—some things just can’t be put away.
Gary Allan lived that truth. In the same house where laughter once echoed, where his children played, where his wife left this world—he picked up a guitar and wrote this song.
“Puttin’ Memories Away” isn’t just a song you listen to. It’s a confession whispered by a broken heart. No drama. No screams. Just quiet sorrow, soaked in love and loss.
Because sometimes, the pain doesn’t leave.
We simply learn to carry it.
Gary Allan – Puttin’ Memories Away
📌 Song Information
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Title: Puttin’ Memories Away
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Artist: Gary Allan
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Album: Tough All Over
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Release Date: October 11, 2005
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Songwriters: Gary Allan, Odie Blackmon
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Label: MCA Nashville
“Puttin’ Memories Away” is one of the most emotionally raw songs from Gary Allan’s 2005 album Tough All Over. The album itself was written and released in the wake of Allan’s personal tragedy—his wife Angela Herzberg’s suicide in 2004. The track serves as a direct emotional outlet, blending country instrumentation with a stripped-down, mournful narrative.
🎙️ Song Meaning – Content Summary (~200 words)
“Puttin’ Memories Away” tells the quiet, heartbreaking story of a man trying to clean up the remnants of a life that no longer exists. The lyrics describe a moment of solitude, where the narrator walks through a house full of memories—framed pictures, old clothes, small mementos of love that now only bring pain. He tries to box them up, to literally and emotionally store them away, hoping that doing so might dull the sorrow.
But as each picture is taken down, and each item is folded away, the reality becomes clear: you can put things into boxes, but you can’t pack away grief. The house becomes a metaphor for his heart—full of empty rooms echoing with the past.
What makes this song so impactful is its honesty. There’s no resolution, no silver lining. Just a man doing what many of us do—trying to survive the unbearable silence after loss.
💔 Explanation of the Core Message (~200 words)
The central idea in “Puttin’ Memories Away” revolves around the illusion of closure. Society often teaches us that healing comes through “moving on” or “letting go.” But this song flips that concept on its head. Gary Allan, writing from deep personal pain, confronts a truth that so many bereaved people know—you don’t ever really get over loss.
The act of boxing up memories is symbolic. It reflects the human urge to organize pain, to control it, to place boundaries around it. But as the song progresses, we see the futility of the effort. While photos and belongings can be stored, emotions do not obey storage rules.
Allan’s gentle voice and restrained delivery make the song even more powerful. He’s not raging; he’s not breaking down. He’s simply there—sitting among the boxes, holding onto a frame, and realizing he’s not just putting away things, he’s facing the ghost of a life that used to be whole.
It’s this quiet devastation, this emotional honesty, that has helped so many fans through their own grieving process. “Puttin’ Memories Away” is not a song of escape—it’s a song of endurance.