Mother Knows Best (song)
The songwriters wrote "Mother Knows Best" in the style of a classic Broadway musical number at the behest of the film's directors, Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, despite Menken's initial reservations that it would sound too different from Tangled's other songs.
"Mother Knows Best" is a musical theatre-inspired pop ballad with lyrics consisting of passive-aggressive insults; its upbeat melody masks its sinister themes about fearmongering, lying, manipulation, and child abuse.
[4] Menken was initially concerned that its genre differed too greatly from the singer-songwriter style they had used to write the film's other songs,[4][5] most of which were are performed by pop singer Mandy Moore.
[7] Menken found "Mother Knows Best" challenging to write due to the subtlety required to not reveal the true nature of Gothel and Rapunzel's complex relationship.
[8] The composer explained that, in addition to establishing that the characters care for each other to a certain extent, the song was also tasked with delicately addressing the serious subject of emotional abuse in a manner appropriate for a Disney film.
[8] Furthermore, Menken observed both parallels and stark differences between Gothel and Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), another Disney villain he had written songs for, who also has an unhealthy relationship with his non-biological child.
[17] After hearing "Mother Knows Best" for the first time, animator Jin Kim imagined a "1940s Hollywood screen siren motif" for Gothel's appearance and personality,[18] whereas Menken likened her to a nightclub singer.
[36][37] According to Amid Amidi of Cartoon Brew, the scene alternates between funny and scary, identifying Gothel's "theatrical gestures" and "claustrophobia-inducing stark black backgrounds" as examples of each.
[54] According to Anthony Quinn of The Independent, "Mother Knows Best" is a "creepy-funny ode to self-interest",[55] whereas Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described its musical undertones as "mercenary".
[23] The song's lyrics name several factors Gothel claims are dangers to Rapunzel,[22] such as ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, snakes, and the plague, to deter her from leaving their secluded tower.
[61][62][47] Barry Levitt of Time said Menken's "soft and soothing" melody deliberately contradicts Slater's lyrics, which he described as "a powerful expression of toxic and unbalanced relationships".
[60] Josh Lezmi, a writer for Thought Catalog, said the song appears to be "filled with advice and guidance, yet the lyrics mask Mother Gothel’s desire to keep her daughter isolated" from the world.
[63] Writing for Slant Magazine, Christian Blauvelt found its lyrics similar to "Out There" from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), specifically Claude Frollo's verse;[64] both songs were composed by Menken.
[17] For Little White Lies, Georgie Hobbs said the actress "performs ... with a schizophrenic frenzy" and likened "Mother Knows Best" to the work of Broadway songwriter Stephen Sondheim.
[66] Dan Kois of The Village Voice compared her work to Sondheim's musical Gypsy,[67] while Norman Wilner of Now was reminded of Broadway actress Patti LuPone,[68] which according to Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle "drip[s] with sarcasm and biting wit".
[55][71][72][73][74] Den of Geek's Glen Chapman called it the film's "finest track" that "strikes a balance between melodic and narrative sophistication, as well as being equal parts sweet and sinister".
[44] Michael Smith, writing for the Tulsa World, felt the song's darkness imbues Tangled with "a bitter balance for the sugar and spice" by recalling "the nasty bits of the original Grimm's fairy tale".
[69] Tom Charity of CNN commended the actress for treating the musical number like "the showstopper it deserves to be",[51] and Linda Cook of the Quad-City Times concluded that she "makes the purchase of the soundtrack worthwhile".
[64] Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media said her vocals are "on fabulous display in the amazing number",[87] and William Goss of Moviefone said she belts it "perfectly".
[88] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave it a negative review, feeling that it was equally as unmemorable as the other tracks and writing, "It's hard to imagine someone humming ... 'Mother Knows Best' when leaving the theater".
[43] Hillary Busis of Entertainment Weekly ranked "Mother Knows Best" Disney's ninth-best villain song, opining that Gothel "can't elevate it higher than the middle of the pack" despite her "admirable swagger".
[97] His list received widespread media coverage,[97] and "Mother Knows Best" was deemed a controversial winner over popular contenders such as "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Part of Your World".
[97][98][65] Komaniecki defended his choice, citing the song's resemblance to contemporary musical theatre, its role in plot progression, strong bridge, and his commitment to his ranking criteria.
