Mother Knows Best (song)
"Mother Knows Best" | |
---|---|
Song by Donna Murphy | |
from the album Tangled: Original Soundtrack | |
Released | November 16, 2010 |
Genre | Pop |
Length | 3:10 |
Label | Walt Disney |
Composer(s) | Alan Menken |
Lyricist(s) | Glenn Slater |
Producer(s) | Menken |
"Mother Knows Best" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater for Disney's animated film Tangled (2010). Included on the film's soundtrack album, it was recorded by American actress and singer Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel, the film's main villain, and details the character's efforts to frighten Rapunzel into remaining within the confines of their secluded tower so she can continue exploiting her hair's regenerative properties. A musical theatre-inspired pop ballad lyrically consisting of passive-aggressive insults, the song's upbeat melody belies its dark lyrics about fearmongering, lying, and manipulation. Gothel eventually reprises "Mother Knows Best" in a more vengeful, sinister manner once Rapunzel openly defies her for the first time.
Menken and Slater deliberately wrote "Mother Knows Best" in the style of an old-fashioned Broadway musical number at the behest of directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, despite Menken's initial concerns that it sounded too different from the film's other songs. Musically, "Mother Knows Best" contrasts with the singer-songwriter style of Rapunzel's songs performed by pop singer Mandy Moore. A Tony Award-winning Broadway performer, Murphy recorded "Mother Knows Best" by envisioning Gothel as a person who revels in the spotlight and enjoys being the center of attention.
"Mother Knows Best" has garnered widespread acclaim from film and music critics, who cited it as the film's best song. Murphy's vocal performance has also been praised, comparing it to actresses Patti LuPone and Julie Andrews. Additionally, the song has drawn comparisons to the work of Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, as well as songs from the musical Les Misérables and Disney's own The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), another Menken project.
Writing and recording
"Mother Knows Best" was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.[1][2] Menken and Slater wrote "Mother Knows Best" for Tangled (2010) as a musical theater-inspired song at the behest of directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno,[3] who specifically requested "a musical theatre moment" for the film's main villain, Mother Gothel.[4] Menken was initially concerned that "Mother Knows Best" was unsuitable for the film because its style differed greatly from the singer-songwriter approach they had used to write its other songs,[4][5] most of which are performed by pop singer Mandy Moore.[4][6] Before writing "Mother Knows Best", Menken and Slater selected appropriate moments throughout the film during which its main characters could sing, ultimately determining that "Mother Knows Best" "flows directly out of the conflict between" Gothel and Rapunzel.[3]
Menken found writing "Mother Knows Best" challenging due to the subtlety required in order not to reveal the true nature of Gothel and Rapunzel's complex relationship.
"Mother Knows Best" was recorded by actress and singer
Context and use in Tangled
Taking place in the film's
At one point during the scene, Gothel actually contradicts herself, forbidding Rapunzel from asking to leave the tower ever again by the end of the musical number.
In the book How Fairy Tales Live Happily Ever After: (Analyzing) the Art of Adapting Fairy Tales, author Conny Eisfeld observed that "Mother Knows Best" emphasizes Gothel's "status of superiority" over Rapunzel, in spite of the fact that "her existence solely depend[s] on Rapunzel".
Music and lyrics
According to the song's official
Featuring
Murphy's
According to Bitch, the song's reprise "features far darker
Reception
"Mother Knows Best" has garnered widespread acclaim from film and music critics, several of whom praised the song despite being otherwise unimpressed with most of Tangled's musical numbers.
In a mixed review, Wesley Morris of
Live performances and use in media
In 2021, actress Melora Hardin and professional dance partner Artem Chigvintsev performed a jazz routine to Hardin's cover of "Mother Knows Best" on the reality television dance competition Dancing with the Stars.[95][96] Hardin's performance received unanimous praise from the judges, earning the highest score of the "Disney Villains"-themed portion of the episode, as well as the season's first 10.[97][98]
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[99] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[100] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
- fractured fairy tale that also features a version of the Mother Gothel character, a role Murphy herself would play in 2012.[13]
References
- ^ "Mother Knows Best". Broadcast Music, Inc. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Mother Knows Best – ISWC: T9056861542 – Work ID: 882372639". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Graham, Bill (September 27, 2010). "Alan Menken Exclusive Interview Tangled". Collider. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b c Cerasaro, Pat (November 15, 2010). "BWW Exclusive: Alan Menken Talks Tangled, Sister Act, Leap of Faith, Hunchback & More". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ a b Cerasaro, Pat (November 18, 2010). "BWW Exclusive: Tangled Directors Nathan Greno & Byron Howard". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Janes, DeAnna (January 17, 2020). "25 Mother-Daughter Songs to Add to Your Sentimental Playlist". Oprah Daily. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c Bibbiani, William (March 16, 2017). "Interview | Alan Menken and the Art of Disney Villain Songs". Mandatory. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Blauvelt, Christian (November 24, 2010). "Alan Menken discusses Tangled and the past, present, and future of the animated musical". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- About.com. Archived from the originalon August 13, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Gencarelli, Mike (January 12, 2011). "Interview with Alan Menken". Media Mikes. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Strassberg, Rebecca (April 26, 2022). "7 Disney Audition Songs for Female Singers". Backstage. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Hucks, Dustin (November 4, 2010). "Interviews: The Cast of Tangled Gets Unraveled". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ McGrath, Charles. "The Leafy Tale of the Princess and the Queen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Cerasaro, Pat (September 27, 2010). "BWW EXCLUSIVE: Donna Murphy Talks Disney's TANGLED". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- SheKnows. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ a b c Fierberg, Ruthie (February 8, 2019). "WATCH: Donna Murphy Talks About Her Transformation Into Tangled's Mother Gothel". Playbill. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Hyo-won, Lee (May 15, 2011). "Dreams come true, Disney style". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c J, Dorian (August 17, 2011). "Stage Left: "Mother Knows Best": on Abusive Parenting in Tangled". Bitch. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Alan (2011). "Tangled". Radio Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Fine, Marshall (November 23, 2010). "Tangled: Good hair day". Hollywood and Fine with Marshall Fine. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Hertz, Todd (November 24, 2010). "Tangled". Christianity Today. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Khosla, Proma (March 13, 2017). "The 10 best Disney villain songs". Mashable. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Moore, Roger (January 27, 2013). "Movie Review: "Tangled"". Movie Nation. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Forsythe, Coco (January 28, 2011). "Tangled Review". Future Movies. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Levitt, Barry (May 27, 2022). "The Top 20 Disney Animated Villains Ranked". /Film. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Falco, Anthony (July 12, 2014). "Top Five Disney Villain Songs". Film Class Junkies. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Emith, Elissa (January 21, 2014). "Top 5 Disney Songs Sung By (or About) Female Villains". Paper Droids. Avenue. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Softonic.com. March 24, 2020. Archived from the originalon April 21, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Michael (November 26, 2010). "Tangled beauty in an old-fashioned fairy tale". Tulsa World. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Holman, Curt (September 12, 2011). "Into the Woods rises above the glut of revisionist fairy tales". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Miraudo, Simon (December 28, 2010). "A little rebellion – Tangled Review". Quickflix. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Lillejord, Kacie (July 28, 2022). "11 Reasons Mother Gothel Is The Most Underrated Disney Villain". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b "Disney Villain Signature Songs On A Scale From 1 to Fabulous". Disney.com. 2014. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
jazzy little number
- ^ a b c Elizabeth, Teena (June 1, 2014). "Best 5 Dark Songs In Colourful Disney Movies". BookMyShow. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Fuchs, Cynthia (November 24, 2010). "Tangled: Why Would He Like You?". PopMatters. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (December 3, 2010). "Five Things I Liked About "Tangled"". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Goss, William (November 22, 2010). "Tangled Review: A Disney Twist on the Princess Formula". Moviefone. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Punter, Jennie (November 24, 2010). "Tangled: The roots of animated tradition, with 3-D highlights". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Kendra, Magnusson (2012). Marvels & Tales. United States: Wayne State University Press. pp. 296–298.
- ISBN 9783954891016 – via Google Books.
- ^ ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Starnes, Joshua (2010). "TANGLED, 2010". WILDsound Filmmmaking Feedback Events. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ "Tangled Up In New: Disney's New Feature Braids Together Classical and Contemporary to Winning Effect". ArtInsights Magazine. November 27, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- Dennis Publishing Limited. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Putman, Dustin (November 10, 2010). "Tangled (2010)". Dustin Putman. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Walt Disney Music Publishing. Archived from the originalon March 11, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ )
- ^ a b c d e Bajgrowicz, Brooke (July 1, 2019). "The 10 Best Disney Villain Songs". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Williams, Joe (November 24, 2010). "Limp humor, weak songs mar Disney's Tangled". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Whitty, Stephen (November 23, 2010). "Tangled review: Disney returns to its magical roots with this golden girl". NJ.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ "Tangled (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)". iTunes. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Charity, Tom (November 24, 2010). "Tangled is old, yet new". CNN. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Monger, James Christopher (November 16, 2010). "Alan Menken / Glenn Slater Tangled [Original Score]". AllMusic. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
"Mother Knows Best," [is] cut from the same pop cloth as all of the late 20th/early 21st century Disney offerings
- ^ Chang, Justin (November 7, 2010). "Review: Tangled". Variety. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Urban, Andrew L (2010). "Tangled". Urban Cinefile. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Quinn, Anthony (January 28, 2011). "Tangled (PG)". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Filmtracks.com. November 15, 2010. Archived from the originalon October 24, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- TV Overmind. Archived from the originalon September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Woerner, Meredith (January 24, 2013). "The 36 Greatest Supervillain Musical Numbers of All Time". io9. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b H, A (January 27, 2011). "Film reviews: Biutiful | Barney's Version | Tangled | How Do You Know | The Mechanic". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Catherine (January 28, 2011). "FILM REVIEW: Tangled". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Turan, Kenneth (November 24, 2010). "Movie review: Tangled". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Roebuck, John (August 14, 2013). "Top Ten Disney Villain Songs". Reel Good. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Blauvelt, Christian (November 18, 2010). "Tangled". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Kendrick, James (2010). "Tangled". QNetwork Entertainment Portal. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Hobbs, Georgie (January 27, 2011). "Tangled Review". Little White Lies. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Kois, Dan (November 24, 2010). "Tangled Looks and Feels Great, So Why Is Disney Selling It Short?". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Wilner, Norman (November 18, 2010). "Tangled". Now. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Baumgarten, Marjorie (November 26, 2010). "Tangled". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Robey, Tim (December 25, 2013). "Tangled, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ "Tangled review". Ben's film-music reviews. October 1, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ Hucks, Dustin (November 30, 2010). "Review: Tangled". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Vejvoda, Jim (November 23, 2010). "Tangled Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Corliss, Richard (November 26, 2010). "Tangled: Disney's Ripping Rapunzel". Time. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- Toledo Blade. Archived from the originalon September 3, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Vincent, Mal (November 25, 2010). "Review: Tangled has a few kinks". HamptonRoads.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Andrews, Nigel (January 26, 2011). "Reviews including Hereafter, Biutiful, Barney's Version and Men on the Bridge". Financial Times. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Hanke, Ken (November 30, 2010). "Tangled". Mountain Xpress. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- GamesRadar. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Persall, Steve (November 24, 2010). "Review: Disney's Tangled is enchanted holiday treat". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Gronvall, Andrea (2010). "Tangled". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Ellerton, Julie (November 23, 2010). "TANGLED... Holiday Magic! -Interviews with the Cast-". iReport. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Goodwin, Hannah (2010). "Tangled". Christian Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Drake, Rossiter (November 26, 2010). "Rapunzel Lets Down Her Bountiful Blonde Hair in Disney's Winning New Musical". 7x7. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Cook, Linda (November 22, 2010). ""Tangled" a clever twist on Rapunzel". Quad-City Times. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Chen, Sandie Angulo (November 14, 2010). "Tangled". Common Sense Media. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ScreenCrush. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ Morris, Wesley (November 24, 2010). "Tangled". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ReelViews. Archived from the originalon February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- TVOvermind. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Payeur, Jordan (June 25, 2022). "The 10 Best Disney Villain Songs, According to Reddit". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Busis, Hillary (June 13, 2022). "20 Disney villain songs, ranked". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Galindo, Brian (October 15, 2013). "Counting Down The 12 Greatest Disney Villain Songs". BuzzFeed. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Handel, Erica (October 14, 2021). "DWTS: How Melora Hardin Is Slaying The Competition". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Samhan, Jamie (November 8, 2021). "Melora Hardin Finally Earns Her Perfect Score On 'DWTS'". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- GoldDerby. Archived from the originalon April 7, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- CinemaBlend. Archived from the originalon September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "British single certifications – Donna Murphy – Mother Knows Best". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Donna Murphy – Mother Knows Best". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 17, 2023.