By a Thread is the ninth studio album by southern rock jam band Gov't Mule. The album was released on October 27, 2009, by Evil Teen Records. It is the first album to feature bassist Jorgen Carlsson, who joined the band in 2008, replacing Andy Hess.On August 17, 2009, the first track of the album, "Broke Down on the Brazos", was made available for listening on Gov't Mule's official website, as well as on the band's Myspace and Facebook pages.