"Original of the Species" is the tenth track on U2's 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and was the fifth and final single from the album.

A live video clip of this song from the DVD Vertigo 2005: Live From Chicago is featured in a television commercial promoting the video capable Apple iPod. During that performance, Bono dedicates it to his two daughters. He also said he believes this to be the best song on their latest album. In concerts in December 2005, Bono has said the song is one of many influenced by John Lennon's music. The music video for the future single has animated computer-generated imagery done by Spontaneous, something unprecedented for U2 videos.

The song was added to the playlists of thirteen alternative rock radio stations. However, it failed to break the top 40, thus not charting on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Instead it hovered around #60, rising to #55 in mid-January. However, it never gained enough airplay to enter the chart, continuing a trend set by "City of Blinding Lights", which also failed to chart. It was slated for a UK release and was playlisted by Xfm London, Virgin Radio, and made the B-List of BBC Radio 2.

In concert form during the Vertigo Tour, the song was played with The Edge on piano, often accompanied by Bono on acoustic guitar. On rare occasions, it was played with The Edge on electric guitar, in a performance which was accompanied by a pianist and full orchestra, much similar to the performance of the album, and one of those performances was at their show in Milan, Italy in July 2005, which appeared on the bonus DVD for U2's 2006 compilation U218 Singles.

[edit] External links

Original of the Species at U2.com
Original of the Species performance history at U2-Vertigo-Tour.com--Lists all concerts at which "Original of the Species" has been performed.

v • d • e U2's singles discography

1980s	1980: "Another Day" • "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" • "A Day Without Me" • "I Will Follow" • 1981: "Fire" • "Gloria" • 1982: "A Celebration" • 1983: "New Year's Day" • "Two Hearts Beat as One" • "Sunday Bloody Sunday" • "40" (Germany only) • 1984: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" • 1985: "The Unforgettable Fire" • 1987: "With or Without You" • "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" • "Where the Streets Have No Name" • "In God's Country" (North America only) • 1988: "One Tree Hill" (Australia / New Zealand only) • "Desire" • "Angel of Harlem" • 1989: "When Love Comes to Town" (with B. B. King) • "All I Want Is You"

1990s	1991: "The Fly" • "Mysterious Ways" • 1992: "One" • "Even Better Than the Real Thing" • "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" • 1993: "Numb" • "Lemon" • "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" • 1995: "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" • "Miss Sarajevo" (as Passengers) 1997: "Discothèque" • "Staring at the Sun" • "Last Night on Earth" • "Please" • "If God Will Send His Angels" • "Mofo" • 1998: "Sweetest Thing"

2000s	2000: "Beautiful Day" • 2001: "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get out Of" • "Walk On" • "Elevation" • 2002: "Electrical Storm" • 2004: "Vertigo" • 2005: "All Because of You" • "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" • "City of Blinding Lights" • "Original of the Species" • "One" (with Mary J. Blige) • 2006: "The Saints Are Coming" (with Green Day) • 2007: "Window in the Skies" • 2008: "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" (with The Dubliners, Kíla, and A Band of Bowsies)