Paste visual block selection on its own lines

Question

I'm not really sure how to describe what I'd like to do. Basically I'd like to use visual block mode to select a region of text and then paste it "as a collection of lines" rather than as a rectangle.

a b
c d
e f
g h

after pressing gg0<c-v>Gy the rectangle a/c/e/g is in the default yank register (I forgot what it's called).

If I then paste the rectangle p I get the following:

aa b
cc d
ee f
gg h

I'm wondering if it's possible to paste a rectangle / visual block selection on a group of lines by itself, as if it were an ordinary visual selection.

a
c
e
g
a b
c d
e f
g h

Answer 1

Try this:

:put! "

• :put: insert the contents of the specified register
• !: insert before the current line (the default is after)
• ": the unnamed register (check :help registers for details)

You could do it from insert mode as well: Ctrl-r+"