When you hear his voice, you’ll find it hard to believe that Ruben Liversage was only 16 years old at the time this video was made. In it, he belts out the Simon & Garfunkel classic “The Sound of Silence” – but with a twist.
His deep, bellowing vocals are otherworldly, but the fact that they sound like they belong to someone much older is part of the reason his performance went viral.
A new(ish) twist on an old song
Liversage’s video was uploaded – it appears by his mother or another female relative – in 2016. But since then, it has been viewed over 1.6 million times.
And while some of the comments are critical of the choreography going on in the background, those commenting on the young man’s voice were along the lines of this:
“HOLY CRAP THIS KID IS AMAZING!! Someone give him a contract!”
The orignal song was written by the legendary Paul Simon and released by Simon & Garfunkel in 1964. Since then, it’s been covered so many times that in 1999, the recording rights organization BMI identified “The Sound of Silence” the 18th most-performed song of the entire 20th century!
Alas, Liversage’s version was inspired not only by the original, but by one of its most popular covers – the 2015 version from the heavy metal band Disturbed.
A Disturbed cover
Disturbed is no folk band. But lead singer David Draiman’s haunting metal tune impressed even Paul Simon himself.
Simon went so far as to email Draiman with compliments after the band performed “The Sound of Silence” on Conan. He also posted the clip on Facebook, calling it “wonderful.”
Draiman posted the proof of Simon’s blessing to the band’s social media accounts.
Draiman responded:
“Mr. Simon, I am honored beyond words. We only hoped to pay homage and honor to the brilliance of one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Your compliment means the world to me/us and we are eternally grateful.”
It’s no surprise that a young person would cover this much later version. In fact, Disturbed’s cover of “The Sound Of Silence” was the first Conan clip ever to surpass 100 million views.
A cover of a cover
Technically, Liversage’s version is a cover of a cover.
The teen’s performance took place at his high school – and in high school fashion, there were some fellow performers as well. In this case, a group of lyrical dancers and a full chorus.
Sportin a white suit that looked like a military uniform (but isn’t) , Liversage looked practically angelic on stage as the bright lights bounced off of him.
Even if some people found the business in the background distracting, it’s all pretty fancy for a high school show!
It was a particularly powerful moment when Liversage stepped into the light.
A version to remember
Sure there’s a lot going on, but it also shows off all the talent at the school. At the time, they had no idea over a million people would watch it.
Despite poking some fun at the atmosphere, plenty of people were bowled over by the 16-year-old’s voice.
“This song has always evoked a strong emotional response in me. But damn, I’m crying like a baby! This young man is brilliantly performing one of my favorite songs!” said a commenter.
It’s no surprise that Liversage continued to sing at his high school – and the account that posted this video holds his other performances as well.
Be sure to scroll down below to see his amazing cover of “The Sound of Silence.”
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