Mother Knows Best (song) own gains. Falco continued, "The audience knows what Gothel wants with Rapunzel, but the fact that we are unable to protect the naïve princess results in further hatred for the witch." Falco also concluded that Gothel's "sinister reprise at the end of "Tangled" allows for these horrifying undertones to emerge, which makes 'Mother Knows Best' one of the most sinister villain songs in the Disney library." Similarly, Elissa Smith of Paper Droids wrote that while the audience is fully aware of Gothel's evil intentions, Rapunzel is denied "the outsider's point of view." Glen Chapman of Den of Geek wrote that
Mother Knows Best (song) the scene "strikes a balance between melodic and narrative sophistication, as well as being equal parts sweet and sinister." Gothel later reprises the song "in indelible fashion." According to the song's official sheet music, which has been published by Walt Disney Music Publishing at Musicnotes.com, "Mother Knows Best" is a "brash," upbeat Broadway musical-inspired show tune written in the key of F major at a moderate tempo of 66 beats per minute, performed "with rubato." At a total length of three minutes and ten seconds – the second-longest song on the film's soundtrack, behind "I See the Light" – Io9