The song was released on Reed’s second solo album, Transformer, in 1972 and was produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. It was Lou Reed’s biggest single.
The song lyrics were seen as risque and were ahead of their time, discussing topics that were seen as taboo, including drugs, male prostitution, and transgender people.
Each verse of Walk on the Wild Side was inspired by a different Andy Warhol “Superstar” from his Factory.