Lyrics above the staff they are assigned to

Lyrics can also be placed above the staff to which they are assigned. However, in this case you cannot simply place the line with \lyricsto above the staff definition, because at that point the voice to which the lyrics are assigned has not been created. Thus, you have to insert an empty dummy definition

  \new Lyrics = "lyricsname" { s4 }
  \new Staff = "staffname" << .... >>

and do the actual lyrics assignment later:

  \context Lyrics = "lyricsname" \lyricsto "voicename" \lyricsdefinition

This snippet shows a simple example of how to add lyrics above and/or below the staff.

\version "2.26"

%% Place lyrics above the staff to which they are assigned
%% https://wiki.lilypond.community/wiki/Lyrics_above_the_staff_they_are_assigned_to
%% formerly http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Item?id=391

notes = \relative c' { c4 d e f | g a b c | }
lyricsAbove = \lyricmode { These ly -- rics placed a -- bove the staff… }
lyricsBelow = \lyricmode { These ly -- rics placed be -- low the staff… }

\score {
% Wrap everything in a parallel music section (otherwise you’ll get errors!)
  <<
    % Create empty dummy lyrics contexts. We’ll do the actual assignment later.
    % Important: The names will later be used to assign the correct placement!
    % We can’t do the assignment before the voice has been defined, so the
    % first Lyrics can’t be replaced by \lyricsto, because the voice to which
    % it is assigned is not yet created there!!!
    
    % Lyrics above (because created before the staff)
    \new Lyrics = "above" { s4 }
    \new Staff <<
      \new Voice = "mainvoice" << \notes >>
    >>
    % Lyrics below (because created after the staff)
    \new Lyrics = "below" { s4 }
    
    % Now that we have created the Lyrics objects in the correct order, assign the lyrics.
    % Notice the Lyrics = "name", where name is the same as in the above definitions!
    \context Lyrics = "above" \lyricsto "mainvoice" \lyricsAbove
    \context Lyrics = "below" \lyricsto "mainvoice" \lyricsBelow
  >>
}