“I would do anything for love. But I won’t do that.”

Unfortunately, Meat Loaf didn’t share his wisdom with the world until 1993 — 35 years too late for Caril Ann Fugate.

“Love Kills,” a new rock musical by Kyle Jarrow, is making its world premiere by New Line Theatre. It tells the true story of Caril, not yet 15 years old, and her boyfriend, Charlie Starkweather.

Their love blossoms quickly — instantly, actually. Their parents don’t understand them. Their peers don’t understand them. And Caril doesn’t seem to mind Charlie’s sudden urges to kill.

It’s a match made in puppy-love heaven, and Caril will do anything for her new beau. Which brings us to their current predicament: Charlie (Philip Leveling) and Caril (Taylor Pietz) are in a Nebraska jail in 1958, charged with shooting 11 people, holding hands all the while.

Why? Because of Charlie’s uncontrollable “death feelings.” And because only something as real as death can express how great their love is.

When they shot Caril’s mother, it was as though they’d gotten married, Charlie says. Her stepfather? Like they’d bought their first house. A third victim? Like they’d had their first child.

Sheriff Merle Karnopp thinks his wife, Gertrude (Alison Helmer), can sweet-talk Caril into confessing to the crimes. But Gertrude thinks Caril’s role in the killings wasn’t voluntary. Forcing people to do things isn’t true love, motherly Gertrude tells Caril.

The story unfolds in Merle’s jail as the Karnopps struggle to get confessions. And through a series of distinct, well-placed flashbacks, we get a glimpse into the backstory that eventually drives the couple to kill. The faces of three of the shooting victims loom large at the back of the perfectly minimal set.

There are moments in the story when we think, “That doesn’t make sense.” But consider that Caril is still an adolescent, and Charlie isn’t much older — and he’s clearly not mentally stable.

This show is a musical, but the dialog often does a better job of driving the story. The four cast members have fine singing voices, but at times the singing seems misplaced — like when stern-faced Merle sweetly sings “Someday” to Gertrude while seated at a table and barely looking up.

And there are times (“The Funny Thing” and “Don’t Come Crawling Back to Me”) when the balance between the vocals and the on-stage band makes it difficult to catch all the lyrics.

The company’s performances of “Love Will Never Die” — a recurring tune — are moving, and we see the stark contrast of the couples’ relationships. And “Float,” a stirring, sweet lullaby sung by Gertrude to Caril, signals a turning point in the women’s lives.

“Love Kills,” directed by Scott Miller, is performed without an intermission, but you won’t even notice because the story is engaging and moves along at a quick pace. It will leave you with plenty to talk about:

What would you do in the name of love?