> According to Joe Romersa, an engineer/drummer in Los Angeles, to whom ahbez bequeathed master tapes, photos, and final works, ahbez wanted a correction made to the lyrics, saying "'To be loved in return,' is too much of a deal, and there's no deal in love,", and that instead it should read "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved, just to love, and be loved." Romersa has stated that, because these lyrics did not fit with the original ending melody, ahbez re-wrote it.
theory: ahbez was looking for both the going-forward-as-love *and* the coming-back-around-again-as-love-arriving-home, in simultaneity
he was close, just had to `s/loved/love`
like this:
*the greatest thing you'll ever learn*
*is just to love*
*and be love in return*