"Farmer John" is a song written by Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry, and first recorded by the two as the American R&B duo Don and Dewey, in 1959. Although the original version of the composition did not receive much attention, it was reinvigorated by the garage rock band the Premiers, whose raving cover version was released in 1964. The song's raw and partying atmosphere was immensely popular, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the group's national success, several additional interpretations of "Farmer John" were released, making the tune a classic of garage rock.

Don and Dewey penned "Farmer John", a simplistic tune about marrying a farmer's daughter, in early 1959, and first recorded their original rendition in January 1959. The duo's R&B song was much more subdued than the Premiers' later interpretation, with hushed trumpet instrumentals providing backdrop to Don and Dewey's vocal harmonies. It was released as a single in February 1959 on Specialty Records; however, the song did not receive much attention and failed to chart. "Farmer John", along with a number of the pair's material including "I'm Leaving It Up to You" and "Big Boy Pete", was recognized only when another artist covered the song.

Featuring brothers Lawrence Perez on lead guitar and John Perez on drums, the Premiers were established as many garage rock bands were, practicing in their garage. The group had the opportunity to record "Farmer John" when the mother of the brothers arranged an audition with record producer Billy Cardenas, who was instrumental in promoting several Chicano groups. As Lawrence Perez recalled, Cardenas recommended to the Premiers to cover "Farmer John", saying "He wanted to do it more East L.A.-style, or 'Louie Louie'-type. At the time, the 'Louie Louie'-type rhythm and sound was happening, so we tried to base the beat and sound towards that". As it so happens, "Louie Louie", had like "Farmer John" begun as a single released by a Los Angeles-based African-American R&B musical act (in this case Richard Berry), before the Kingsmen's classic rendition propelled to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. For that reason, the Premiers' cover was marked by the same kind of unpolished adolescence that garnered the Kingsmen national success.

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