American Pie Archive-org ((top)) Direct

To understand the presence of "American Pie" on Archive.org, one must first understand the mission of the Archive itself. Founded by Brewster Kahle, the Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies, music, and billions of web pages. It is a time machine.

The mystique of "American Pie" lies in its lyrics. For fifty years, fans have debated the identity of "the Jester," the meaning of "the fallen king," and the specifics of "the girl who sang the blues."

The Digital Afterlife of a Cultural Relic: Preservation, Piracy, and Pedagogy in the ‘American Pie’ Collection on Archive.org