AI Illustrates Led Zeppelins’s Stairway to Heaven

2 AI tools tackle the timeless classic

Image created using MidJourney.AI
These days AI image generation can do wonders. But what happens if we combine the technology of today with the masterpieces of yesterday? I’ve chosen one of the most iconic songs of all time - Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Haven to serve as an inspiration for Artificial Intelligence.

Let’s see how this mystical song looks through the eyes of AI. For this experiment, I am using *MidJourney.AI *(images on the left) and DreamStudio (images on the right). And the lyrics from Led Zeppelins’s masterpiece as text prompts for these AI tools.

You can try this yourself and I’ll explain how at the end of the article. But for now - set the mood, put on Stairway to Heaven, and follow along.

There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven

There’s a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
’Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, makes me wonder

There’s a feeling I get when I look to the West
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking

Ooh, really makes me wonder

Ooh, really makes me wonder

And it’s whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter

Oh-oh-oh-oh-woahhh

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on

And it makes me wonder
Ohh, woah

Your head is humming, and it won’t go, in case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold

And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one, and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll

And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven

What do you think

Did the AI tools do good? Are you impressed? Although some of the results seem quite random, the AI tools generated all of these images just seconds after being prompted with the lyrics. Are we entering a new age where artists will become obsolete?

I don’t think so. But this technology will surely have a huge impact. And will improve over time. What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Try this yourself

You can easily try using these incredible tools yourself. You can use whatever you like as the text prompt. To use Midjourney.AI you will need to have a Discord account. All you need to do is go to their website and click join the beta. Once on their Discord server choose one of the channels called “Newbies” and you are ready to go. Write /imagine with your text prompt and wait for the results.

With DreamStudio it’s even easier. Simply go to their website, sign-up, and you are set. You will be able to generate about 200 images for free.

One last thing

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This article was originally posted by me on Medium