Mother Knows Best (song) facts for kids

"Mother Knows Best" is a popular song from the Disney movie Tangled (2010). It was written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. The song is sung by Donna Murphy, who voices the villain, Mother Gothel.

In the movie, Mother Gothel sings this song to Rapunzel. Gothel tries to scare Rapunzel into staying in their hidden tower. She uses clever, sometimes mean, words to make Rapunzel feel unsafe outside. Gothel wants Rapunzel to stay so she can keep using Rapunzel's magical hair to stay young. Later in the movie, Gothel sings a darker version of the song. This happens after Rapunzel leaves the tower and stands up to Gothel.

Song Details

"Mother Knows Best" is a type of song called a ballad. It sounds like a song you would hear in a Broadway musical. It was created for Walt Disney Pictures' 50th animated movie, Tangled. The song is also on the movie's official soundtrack.

How it Was Made

The directors of Tangled, Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, asked for a classic Broadway-style song. So, Alan Menken and Glenn Slater wrote "Mother Knows Best" to fit that style. The music in "Mother Knows Best" is very different from Rapunzel's songs. Rapunzel's songs, sung by Mandy Moore, sound more like modern pop music.

Donna Murphy is an actress who has won a Tony Award for her work on Broadway. When she recorded the song, she imagined Mother Gothel as someone who loves being the center of attention.

What Critics Thought

Many people think "Mother Knows Best" is one of the best songs in Tangled. Movie and music critics really liked it. They praised its tune, its funny parts, and its dark side.

Critics also loved Donna Murphy's singing. Some even preferred her performance over Mandy Moore's. They compared Murphy's singing to famous actresses like Patti LuPone and Julie Andrews. The song has also been compared to the work of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. It also reminded some critics of songs from the musical Les Misérables. Others compared it to songs from Disney's own The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), which Alan Menken also worked on.

Images for kids

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  "Mother Knows Best" was co-written by composer Alan Menken (pictured) opposite lyricist Glenn Slater, wrote the song in the style of a musical theatre number at the behest of directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno.