So True! Have you read the "Anthology" (link at bottom of all Lyrics posts.)
This is what I wrote at the end of it ... (Note: I had listened to Lou since the mid 1970s, and, understandably, thought of him as a great rock’n’roll artist. After his death, I started to compile the following selection of some of his great lyrics. It soon became clear that Lou Reed was not only a superbly gifted singer / songwriter, he was also a master wordsmith and a true poet. Of the highest order.)

First and foremost, Lou was creating great art / literature. It just happened that he did so in the field of rock'n'roll.