I think when they say, "It's the next best thing to be," they mean that the next best thing to being completely and totally in LOVE with someone is to be completely and totally single. I know this may seem obvious, but I just figured it out! Being sort-of in a relationship with someone is torture. You're wondering how they feel, some days you don't know how you feel, and the whole thing is a sloppy mess that ends in an emotional blur. Usually it's because one person is more into the other, and the one who is doing all of the working and thinking and obsessing ends up really hurt. Sometimes people who don't know what they want have a tendency to keep their lover on a short leash, which is torture for that person who really should move on. So, to recap: The Beatles know that the best thing is LOVE-LOVE-LOVE, but the next best thing to that is being completely free of any attachment to a person who has the capability to break your heart and them stomp around on it without the slightest expectation or guilt.
I think when they say, "It's the next best thing to be," they mean that the next best thing to being completely and totally in LOVE with someone is to be completely and totally single. I know this may seem obvious, but I just figured it out! Being sort-of in a relationship with someone is torture. You're wondering how they feel, some days you don't know how you feel, and the whole thing is a sloppy mess that ends in an emotional blur. Usually it's because one person is more into the other, and the one who is doing all of the working and thinking and obsessing ends up really hurt. Sometimes people who don't know what they want have a tendency to keep their lover on a short leash, which is torture for that person who really should move on. So, to recap: The Beatles know that the best thing is LOVE-LOVE-LOVE, but the next best thing to that is being completely free of any attachment to a person who has the capability to break your heart and them stomp around on it without the slightest expectation or guilt.