There once was a man from New Jersey / Who told people jokes that were dirty / And then this rock star / Strapped on his guitar / And played the crowd hits that are sturdy.

That's a pretty awful limerick, but it ranks right up there with some of the groaners that Bruce Springsteen told during his set at the Stand Up for Heroes benefit on Nov. 6. The evening, which marked the organization's seventh annual event, found Springsteen headlining a diverse group of musicians and comedians that included Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Jim Gaffigan and Roger Waters, all of whom entertained a crowd brought together to support veterans of the armed services.

But one thing the night was lacking, in Springsteen's view, was a round of good old-fashioned dirty jokes. So, as Stereogum reports, he kicked off his set by going blue with a round of groaners that we can't repeat here (but you can watch them yourself in the above video). "I didn’t say they were good dirty jokes," he chuckled at one point. "I just said they were jokes."

Fortunately, the Boss isn't quitting his day job; after getting those gags out of his system, he proceeded to deliver what the audience came for with an acoustic set that included performances of 'Dancing in the Dark,' 'If I Should Fall Behind' and 'Dream Baby Dream,' all of which went over better than his stand-up material. Good thing it was all for a good cause, right?

More From Eagle 106.3