Mother Knows Best (song) songs. While the majority of "Tangled"'s music was inspired by the work of Canadian musician Joni Mitchell, Menken envisioned Gothel's song as "classic" Broadway. Before writing "Mother Knows Best", Menken and Slater researched appropriate moments in the film during which its main characters could potentially perform, ultimately determining that "Mother Knows Best" "flows directly out of the conflict between" Mother Gothel and Rapunzel. Menken observed similarities between Gothel and Claude Frollo, another Disney villain for whom he had written songs while working as a composer on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996). Menken described Gothel as "a scary piece of
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