http://lrclib.net/

For your lyrics needs! (Can be selfhosted)

That's basically what gopher is: a capsule of hierarchically ordered documents, easily browsable thanks to a normalized interface

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher_(protocol)

The web is one of its spiritual successor and is plenty usable to share text files. Most if not all software can generate indexes of content in a directory. wget and friends can be used to retrieve the whole archive. If you generate html files you can then style them independently of the content.

self hosting a lyrics site

I remember when people were going to court for publishing lyric sites. Wow! Weird times.

have you seen this 👉 https://lrclib.net/ it might be what you want

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LRC_(file_format)

For time-synchronized lyrics.

It looks like my Scandroid audio files from Bandcamp have embedded non-synchronized lyrics.

$ metaflac --list *08*.flac

[snip]

    comment[12]: UNSYNCEDLYRICS=Beware the shadows of the drones 
Destruction wrapped in pretty silicone 
They’ve taken everyone I’ve known 
And now I walk these empty streets alone 

In my memory the past is fading 
The future has been redesigned 
It’s hard to focus on it when I’m running out of time 

Surrounded by streetlights at midnight 
My destination is unknown 
I walk these empty streets alone 
Digital dreams thrive in the moonlight 
I’m only flesh, circuit and bone 
I walk these empty streets alone 

Beware the faces of the clones 
Deception sent from Neo-Tokyo 
They’ve erased everyone I’ve known 
And still I walk these empty streets alone

I don't know how widespread that is.

Note that lyrics are themselves copyrighted works, regarding simply sharing them. That is, if you want to create, say, "Lyricsnet, the new Fediverse service" or something like that, you may attract attention from IP owners.