Mother Knows Best (song) Mother Knows Best (song) "Mother Knows Best" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater for Walt Disney Pictures' 50th animated feature film "Tangled" (2010). Included on the film's official soundtrack, "Mother Knows Best" is a musical theatre-inspired pop and jazz ballad performed by American actress and singer Donna Murphy in her animated role as Mother Gothel, the film's villain. Incorporating a series of passive-aggressive insults into its lyrics, the song serves as Gothel's attempt to frighten Rapunzel into remaining in their secluded tower despite her constant requests to see the floating lanterns so that she
Mother Knows Best (song) while explaining to her that it's "for her own good," claiming to only want to protect her. At one point during the scene, Gothel actually contradicts herself; Teena Elizabeth of "BookMyShow" observed, "Gothel has no intentions of letting her go. Though Mother Gothel sings, 'soon, but not yet,' but ironically later says, 'Rapunzel, don't ever ask to leave this tower...again.'" Writing for the "Tulsa World", Michael Smith observed that Gothel uses the song "as her lie/rationale for keeping the girl safe (holding her hostage) from those who might steal her for their own hair-inspired profit schemes." Amid Amidi of Cartoon