Alright knuckleheads. Here's the deal. To understand the words to this song, you have to be a FAN of Kansas's music, and that means ALL of it. The first line is:
"...once I rose above the noise and confusion, just to get a glipse beyond the illusion..."

This refers to aa line from a song off of the Masque album called the Pinnacle.

The line THERE says:
"...I stood where no man goes, ABOVE THE DIN I ROSE..."

"din" is a synonym for "confusion"

Kerry Livgren, in the early 70's was wandering spiritual vagrant. He knew there was more to life than the simple everyday. He dabbled in different religious philosophies and teachings. But nothing ever came to he that smacked him in the face. He was on a voyage, a spiritual voyage to figure out what he believed in. When this was written, he didn't know what he believed in, and that what it's about... It's about looking for answers, not finding them, and continuing your search regardless of the progress thus far.

Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
I was soaring ever higher
But I flew too high
(I thought I had the answer, but it wasnt for me)

Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming
I can hear them say
(I still don't have the right answer)

{Refrain}

Masquerading as a man with a reason
My charade is the event of the season
And if I claim to be a wise man, well
It surely means that I don't know

(So I'll fake it, pretend I know what the answer is, and MAYBE the answer will suddenly come to me by chance)

On a stormy sea of moving emotion
Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean
I set a course for winds of fortune
But I hear the voices say
(Its very emotional for me, and very important, but if I stay the course, I'll find the right answer for me.)